Taiwan Medical Professionals Alliance chairman Wu Shuh-min (
Deputy Representative Stanley Kao (高碩泰) of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington said he was still trying to clarify the reason for the PAHO's canceling the meeting, adding there might have been "foul play."
A PAHO spokesperson did not respond to inquiries.
Seeking support
A medical delegation consisting of Wu, Taiwan Medical Association president Wu Yun-tung (吳運東) and Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator George Liu (劉寬平) is in Washington to drum up support for the nation's entry into the WHO.
At a press conference at Twin Oaks, Wu Shuh-min said China is oppressing Taiwan wherever it can.
Taiwan Medical Professionals Alliance executive director Lin Shih-chia (林世嘉) aimed his criticism at Hong Kong born WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (陳馮富珍), saying Chan's actions after her accession to the post last year have showed that she is focusing on China's interests rather than the interests of the WHO.
Health danger
The medical delegation said that Taiwan's isolation from the WHO presents a danger to global health, as Taiwan is the only country in the world denied full access to support and information from the world health body.
The physicians met US officials in the hope that Washington would broaden its support for the country's admission, under observer status, to the WHO.
In recent years Japan and the US have advocated for Taiwan's observer status, but only 25 of the WHO's 191 full members have joined the cause.
The physicians said they hoped to convince the US to apply more pressure on the EU and Canada to join the cause for Taiwan, but doubted they had succeeded.
Both the EU and Ottawa say they can't allow Taiwan to have observer status -- already accorded to the Red Cross, the Palestinian Authority, the Vatican, Kosovo and several other non-state entities -- because it would violate their "one China" policy.
"If we are not in the network, there is going to be a hole," said Wu Shuh-Min (
Liu took the argument one step further.
"This is not a political issue but an issue of human rights," he said.
The delegation has been visiting world capitals ahead of the annual World Health Assembly in May, where matters of membership are decided. A simple majority would suffice to give Taiwan observer status.
"We don't mind fighting another 10 years, but I don't want a disaster to happen," Wu Shuh-min said.
Taiwan successfully contained a SARS outbreak in 2003 using a rigorous system of containment, ship and plane searches, the temperature-monitoring of arriving passengers, hospital closures and facial masks distribution.
The physicians said that Beijing kept the world in the dark about its SARS problems and has "lied" to the world about how much support it gives Taiwan on health issues.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
RSS