For Immediate Release
Washington DC – October 26, 2010
Contact: (202) 547-3686
FAPA Criticizes Ma Statements To Associated Press
Disregard for the will of the Taiwanese people
The Formosan Association for Public Affairs – a Washington DC-based Taiwanese-American grassroots organization – today expressed strong criticism of statements recently made by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in an interview with Associated Press.
In the October 19th 2010 interview Ma indicated that he was prepared to discuss “political agreements” with China moving Taiwan towards “unification” with China if he wins re-election in 2012.
FAPA President Bob Yang said that the interview clearly reflects the prevailing view in the Ma administration that it wants to move in the direction of political union with China. Yet, polls consistently show that the great majority of the people of Taiwan do not desire absorption by China. Said Yang: “Ma is paying lip service to democracy in Taiwan, but in the meantime moving Taiwan in China’s direction at the expense of human rights and democracy in Taiwan.”
Yang added: “During the past two years we have seen ample evidence that the Ma administration has a disregard for human rights and democracy: it has abused the judiciary to go after members of the former DPP government, it has abridged press freedom, and moved ahead with the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China with little transparency or checks and balances.”
Yang said that he hoped the people of Taiwan would see through the deliberate attempts by the Ma administration to prevent the people of the island nation to make a free and democratic decision on their future. He said that freedom and democracy will only prevail if the Taiwanese people support candidates and parties that really identify with the island, its unique history and vibrant, multi-faceted culture.
Yang added that during the 2008 election campaign, Ma gave the appearance of being “Taiwanese” and in favor of a free and democratic Taiwan. However, after his inauguration Ma has left no stone unturned in emphasizing his “Chinese” heritage and identity, and has worked ceaselessly to tighten Taiwan’s links with China.
Yang concluded that he was particularly concerned about the fact that the Ma administration continued to drift in China’s direction, while all other democratic nations in the region were aligning themselves more closely with the United States on issues such as the South China Sea and the tension surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
During the past weeks, the Ma administration has also given the appearance of siding with China on the conflict between Japan and China regarding the Senkakus/Diaoyutai, with the Taipei government coming to the astounding position that it did not have a disagreement with China “because the ROC Constitution states that China is still a territory of the ROC.”
FAPA President Bob Yang stated that this position flies in the face of the reality that the PRC has been a separate country since 1949, and reflects the ossified thinking of the present rulers in Taipei.
