Participants in a rally on Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland, supporting Taiwan's presence in the World Health Assembly (WHA) were told by staff associated with the WHA to remove or cover up a T-shirt printed with the word "Taiwan," one attendee said.
The rally was organized by several groups, including the Walking for Taiwan Association in Europe and Ananasli Kulturverein, a cultural group promoting Taiwanese culture to German speakers.
Photo: CNA
The incident occurred as more than 100 participants, including Taiwanese living overseas and supporters of Taiwan, were gathered near the Place des Nations' Broken Chair sculpture across the street from the UN complex, where the WHA was being held.
Before the march began, the WHA staff called out to participants gathered at the site, rally participant Dan Chuang (莊丹琪) told the Central News Agency.
Chuang said she later realized the officials were asking participants to cover up the word "Taiwan" on their T-shirts or take the shirts off altogether.
In a Facebook post, Chuang said rally organizers had completed the required application procedures, and people at the Place des Nations were carrying a large banner reading: "Who Cares, Taiwan Cares."
However, Chuang said that officials asked participants not to display the word "Taiwan" on their shirts and even handed out replacement T-shirts.
The officials said they could wear shirts bearing the word "Taiwan" if they moved to another gathering point, Chuang said.
To avoid escalating the situation, rally participants complied and wore the shirts openly again after leaving the area, she said.
She added that she initially felt stunned by the situation until her daughter asked: "Why do we need to cover up Taiwan?"
"We were humiliated and silenced," Chuang said. "We just went through what older Taiwanese and our athletes and artists have long faced on the international stage."
Taiwan has not been invited to the WHA — the decision-making body of the WHO — since 2016, when it last attended as an observer.
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