By Philip P. Pan and David E. Hoffman
Democratic reforms
But Chen said the new constitution had nothing to do with Taiwan's independence. Instead, he said, it aims to deepen democratic reform and improve governance by lowering the voting age, adding new human rights guarantees, reducing the size of the legislature and settling other disputes that have left the island's government gridlocked.
Chen's comments came days after Beijing issued an unusually strong warning that it would not tolerate turmoil in Taiwan and announced plans to issue a legal ruling as early as Friday that could quash growing demands in Hong Kong for direct elections to choose the territory's leaders. By speaking out at such a sensitive moment and drawing a link between Taiwan's future and China's approach in Hong Kong, Chen raised the stakes for those in the Communist Party leadership who want to stifle the pro-democracy movement in the territory.
"In Taiwan, we have full democracy, and our freedom and democracy are fully protected," he said. "We do not wish to return to the era of authoritarianism. We don't want our freedoms to be restricted or taken away. . . .
"Right now, the people of Hong Kong are fighting for direct elections for their chief executive and general elections for the entire legislature, but the Beijing authorities are unable to consent," Chen said. "They even say, 'Wait another 30 years and we'll see.' I think this is very ridiculous.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4627114/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33322-2004Mar29.html--------------------------------------------------
Mr. Pan and Mr. Hoffan,
You are NOT telling the world the truth. I would, with near certainty, say you immigrated to America from Mainland Communist China or that you both are from the KMT Mainland Chinese lot which invaded Formosa in 1949. Tell the readers the truth! Just as Mutual Fund Managers must say whether they are holding the companies they are promoting! Shame on you! A moral non bias WP reporter should replace both of you. That’s all Taiwan asks for, an honest independent journalist to investigate and tell the TRUTH!
You’re fired!
woodwardb@washpost.com, abramowitz@washpost.com, hadarm@washpost.com, kingc@washpost.com, leenj@washpost.com, marcusr@washpost.com, letters@washpost.com, weismanj@washpost.com, waxmans@washpost.com, leducd@washpost.com, morses@washpost.com, balzd@washpost.com +++ombudsman@washpost.com+++, Philip Pan: foreign@washpost.com
Foreign correspondent/China
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“In 1949, Taiwan did not “split off from China”, but was occupied - MSNBC
By Kari Huus (Kari is good moral person and a moral/honest Reporter.)
MSNBC
Beijing says China’s rule over Taiwan dates as far back as the Yuan Dynasty, in the 12th century. But independence advocates now openly argue that China never did rule Taiwan and that Taiwan’s people are not as “Chinese” as mainland propagandists would like to pretend.
“In 1949, Taiwan did not “split off from China”, but was occupied by the losing side in the Chinese Civil War,” according to a 1999 white paper endorsed by 18 overseas Taiwanese associations.
Centuries ago, the island had an aboriginal culture of Malay and Polynesian descent. In the 17th century, the Dutch and Portuguese had colonies here, and the imported Chinese laborers — all men — intermarried with locals, forming the basis of the majority of today’s population. According this version of history, it was only in 1887 that China declared Taiwan a part of its territory in an effort to stem Japanese expansionism, say independence activists. But when that failed, China ceded Taiwan to Japan in perpetuity.
The Japanese held Taiwan for 50 years, until their defeat in World War II. In the years immediately after, Allied Forces backed Chiang Kai-shek’s temporary occupation of Taiwan. But according to pro-independence legal experts, the Nationalists never had a legal basis to stay.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3072143 /
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With a bunch left out!
http://www.csmonitor.com/earlyed/earlyWO0321a.html Pre-1500s - Inhabited for thousands of years, Taiwan's first known settlers most likely migrated from different areas of Southeast Asia.
1517 - Portuguese sailors passed an island off the eastern coast of China not marked on their maps. They call it "Ilha Formosa" or "Beautiful Island."
1624 - Dutch traders claim the island as a base for commerce in the region and begin to colonize the southwestern part of the island.
1626 - Spanish land on the north side of Taiwan, build forts, and start settlements.
1642 - The Dutch drive out the Spanish.
1661 - Koxinga, the last general of China's Ming dynasty, invades Taiwan.
1662 - After a bloody, nine-month siege, the Dutch governor surrenders Taiwan to Koxinga.
1683 - Manchus from China take the Kingdom of Taywan, and annex western Taiwan to Chinese empire.
1884 - French forces invade northern Taiwan, occupying the seaport of Keelung, only to withdraw a year later.
1895 - Sino-Japanese War ends. China cedes Taiwan to Japan in Shimonoseki Treaty. Japan quickly develops Taiwan's economy.
1930 - A major, two-month uprising in central Taiwan leaves thousands dead.
1945 - World War II ends. Japan surrenders. US and Britain agree to hand over Taiwan to Chiang Kai-shek's Republic of China government, which controls most of China. Chiang imposes martial law in Taiwan. Beijing vows to retake control of the island.
1949 - After being defeated by communists in China, Chiang and more than one million followers, the Kuomintang (KMT), flee to Taiwan. This group of mainland Chinese dominates Taiwan's politics for decades, even though it accounts for less than 15% of the population.
(Forgot to mention the Gwo Ming Dong (KMT) murdering and butching Taiwanese since the day they Invaded.
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the occupation of Taiwan by Chiang Kai-shek's armies fleeing from China
http://www.taiwandc.org/un-2001.htm The establishment of the United Nations in 1945 began a new era in international relations, and prompted a long series of declarations of independence in Asia and Africa. Because of a fluke accident of history -- the occupation of Taiwan by Chiang Kai-shek's armies fleeing from China -- the Taiwanese people were not able to join the international family of nations as an independent nation right away.
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US Congressional Record - retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the KMT...
Mr. PELL. Mr. President, on Tuesday Dr. Trong Chai came to Washington as part of a large Taiwanese delegation to the United States seeking support for Taiwanese membership in the United Nations.
I have known Dr. Chai for a great number of years. He was the founder and first president of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs , an organization that has long struggled to draw attention to political and economic developments on Taiwan. Dr. Chai's career is testimony to the impressive changes that has occurred in Taiwan.
Four years ago I pressed the Taiwanese Government to permit Dr. Chai, then a professor of political science at the City University of New York, to return to Taiwan. Permission was granted and, after 30 years of exile in the United States, Dr. Chai made the journey back to his homeland. There he formed an organization to press for the international recognition of Taiwan.
Two years later Dr. Chai was elected to the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, and this month he became the co-chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
In the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to meet with leaders of both the opposition and ruling party in Taiwan. I have been impressed with the unanimity of agreement that exists concerning the issue of Taiwanese membership in the United Nations. The economic success of Taiwan and its emerging democracy have contributed to a rising nationalism in Taiwan. In my view, the nature of Taiwan's success will ultimately bring it the international recognition that it deserves. I am pleased that the Taiwanese leadership is united in its efforts to achieve this goal.
At a luncheon sponsored by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs earlier this week, Dr. Chai presented his views concerning why the United States should support Taiwan's readmission to the United Nations.
I ask unanimous consent that Dr. Chai's speech be included in the Record.
There being no objection, the speech was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
The United States Should Support Taiwan in Joining the United Nations
(BY TRONG R. CHAI)
Today is a day for family reunions in Taiwan. It is the day of Taiwan's Moon Festival, a day when the family in Taiwan lift their heads together and enjoy the full moon. We are here to lower our heads for a moment and think about why there is no international family reunion with Taiwan.
On October 25, 1971, The United Nations, by a vote of 76 to 35, passed GA/RES 2758, recognizing the government of China to be represented in the U.N. With this resolution, the other entity for China represented by Chiang Kai-Shek was deemed illegal and expelled from the U.N. Since then, the people of Taiwan have been shut off from this international organization.
Taiwan is qualified to be a U.N. member. It has scored great economic achievements: a GNP of $220 billion which ranks 20th in the world, a Per Capita Income of $10,500 that ranks 25th, and a foreign trade volume which ranks 13th with a foreign reserve that stands at world's pinnacle. Judging from these records, Taiwan should be admitted to the U.N.
Among the world's 191 nations, only Switzerland, Holy See, Tonga, Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Taiwan are not U.N. members. Taiwan is the only nation truly left out of the U.N. Switzerland, the perennial neutral nation, never has the intention of becoming a U.N. member. The other five nations, with an aggregate population of no more than 190,000, occupy small, limited areas of land, and are not willing to join the U.N. Taiwan has been willing and able to become a member of the world organization. However, due to political reasons, it has been denied U.N. membership. The denial of representation for 21 million Taiwanese people, who rank 43rd most populous in the world, violates not only moral principles but also human rights.
It has been 23 years since Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang (KMT) was expelled from the U.N. Although the people of Taiwan have incessantly expressed their desire to join that world body during these years, their efforts have thus far been in vain. There are two reasons for the failure:
First, as one of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, the People's Republic of China, ignoring the internationally known fact that Taiwan has been independent for forty-five years, still insists that `Taiwan is a part of China' and use this as a reason for denying Taiwan's U.N. membership.
Second, since it retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the KMT government has adhered to the so-called one-China policy, which creates not only great confusion among the international community but also causes Taiwan to linger outside the U.N. door.
Recently, the KMT government wishes to imitate the precedents set by the two Koreas and the two Germanys and hope that parallel representation would be applicable to Taiwan. Thus, the KMT formulates the formula of `One nation, two seats,' by which Taiwan
would be able to join the U.N. along with the People's Republic of China. This approach, however, is unrealistic, doomed to fail.
The reason that all the Koreans and Germans were admitted to the U.N. is that prior to applying for the U.N. membership, both two Koreas and two Germanys had been simultaneously recognized by the international community. In fact, the ground for their admission is based on `two nations, two seats,' not `one nation, two seats.' Since no nation has simultaneously maintained formal diplomatic relations with both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan, there is no chance that Taiwan would be admitted to the U.N. with the idea of `one nation, two seats' and in the name of the `Republic of China.'
To strengthen the humanistic and moral pleas embedded in their endeavor to join the U.N., a plebiscite must first be held. The plebiscite, to determine whether or not the name of `Taiwan' would be used, would not only help Taiwan reach a consensus on the name among its people but also show the world the will and the determination of the people of Taiwan in joining the U.N. When the people of Taiwan, by a huge margin, decide to use the name of `Taiwan,' the world community should give moral support to the people of Taiwan in their application for a new membership.
As a champion of human rights and the leader of the democratic world, the United States has taken political and economic sanctions against those nations that seriously violate human rights. This year, the United States has urged China to improve the human rights situation when granting China the Most Favored Nations status. And now that 21 million Taiwanese people are being denied U.N. membership, the United States should support Taiwan in joining the U.N. on the ground of universality of membership and for the respect of the human dignity of and human rights of the people in Taiwan.
http://www.fas.org/news/taiwan/1994/s940930-taiwan.htm=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Taiwanese Isolation Seems like "Apartheid," Says Church Official
TAIPEI--A leading Taiwanese church official has called on churches world-wide to help end Taiwan's "invisibility" and "isolation."
Even though Taiwan in practice functions as an independent country, the People's Republic of China, only 130 kilometers away, regards Taiwan as a renegade province, and looks forward to the day when it can gain
sovereignty over the island.
Referring to the refusal of the world's major powers to support efforts aiming at the recognition of Taiwan as an independent nation with a seat at the United Nations, William J. K. Lo, general secretary of the Presbyterian
Church in Taiwan (PCT), said July 1: "We are
isolated from the international community. Only 27 countries have diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Twenty-two million people Taiwan] are isolated from the international community. It seems to be a new form of apartheid."
William Lo, who became general secretary of Taiwan's biggest Protestant church last year, was speaking to the 35 members of the executive committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) on the first day of their
11-day annual meeting, one of the most important international church gatherings ever to be held in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. The PCT is one of the 214 churches world-wide which belong to WARC.
http://www.wfn.org/1999/08/msg00307.html=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Chiang was driven off the mainland to the island of Taiwan (1949)
Chiang Kai-shek was one of the most important political leaders in 20th century Chinese history, sandwiched between Sun Yat-sen and Mao Zedong. Early in the 20th century Chiang Kai-shek fought for Sun Yat-sen's United Revolutionary League and the Kuomintang party to overthrow China's imperial dynasty. The Republic of China was established in 1912, but by the end of the 1920s the Kuomintang split with the Communists (led by Mao Zedong) . After the death of Sun Yat-sen, Chiang became the leader of the Kuomintang army and seized control of the government. Still engaged in a civil war with the Communists, Generalissimo Chiang also led the army against Japanese invaders in Manchuria (1937). During World War II Chiang had the support of the Allied powers and was the supreme commander of the China theater for the length of the war, the acknowledged leader of a war-torn and impoverished China. After World War II ended, the Kuomintang and the Communists re-ignited the civil war, and Chiang was eventually driven off the mainland to the island of Taiwan (1949), where the Kuomintang set up a government-in-exile. Until his death in 1975, Chiang ruled Taiwan under martial law and modernized the economy, receiving support from the West for his anti-communism. His international position waned after the 1971 United Nations decision to recognize the Communists as the official government of China.
http://www.who2.com/chiangkaishek.html