President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) on Friday condemned China’s military crackdown in Tibet and said he supports the pope’s message of encouraging “dialogue and tolerance” in solving the problem.
At a ceremony celebrating the third anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s ascension to the papacy at the Holy See’s embassy in Taipei, Chen called on the Beijing government to solve the problem peacefully, improve its human rights practices and guarantee religious freedom to Chinese people.
During a weekly audience late last month after the suppression occurred, the pontiff appealed for an end to the violence in Tibet and neighboring areas in China, and urged Beijing and Lhasa to find “solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good” in Tibet.
INTERACTION
Protests in the Tibetan capital by Buddhist monks demanding greater cultural freedom and autonomy turned violent on March 14 and were suppressed militarily by China in a bloody crackdown.
Chen said that China should allow interaction between missionaries and the Chinese people and should end its oppression of individuals’ rights to choose “the food that nourishes their souls.”
He also urged China to abandon its military threat against Taiwan by removing and destroying missiles aimed at the country to ensure regional peace.
CONGRATULATIONS
At Friday’s celebration, Chen also extended his congratulations on behalf of Taiwanese and the government to the pope on his third anniversary serving as the pontiff.
Taiwan is a faithful partner in carrying out charity missions that reflect the Holy See’s values, Chen said, citing humanitarian aid provided by the Taiwanese government to areas that have experienced natural disasters or man-made calamities.
He said that Taiwan will continue with its exchanges and interaction with the Vatican as part of its efforts to improve and promote human rights, democracy, freedom and peace in the world.
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