For Immediate Release
Washington DC – December 20, 2007
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Members Of Congress Challenge Bush Administration’s Objection Against Taiwan’s UN Referendum Plan
On December 19, two House Foreign Affairs Committee members, Congressmen Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Tom Tancredo (R-CO) wrote to Secretary Rice, expressing their utmost displeasure at the Administration’s continued public criticism on Taiwan’s UN referendum plan next March. “The people of Taiwan have earned their right to conduct their elections without coercion from our government, the government of the People’s Republic of China, or anyone else – and we should respect their right to do so”, the letter concludes.
This letter is yet the strongest rebuke from Congress against the Administration on the referendum issue. The Congressmen listed every statement by the Administration and are deeply concerned over the Administration’s actions. They wrote, “One or two public statements would be quite sufficient to convey the Administrations position…..It is not necessary to continue dispatching an endless parade of U.S. officials to denounce and attack a proposal over a six month stretch while parroting the terminology used by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.”
FAPA Executive Director Wen-yen Chen says, “This letter by these two long-time Taiwan’s ardent supporters expressed the exact sentiment of many in Taiwan and here in the United States. As a US-based organization that advocates for Taiwan in the international community, we are dismayed, frustrated and disappointed at the U.S. Administration’s opposition to the UN referendum.”
Chen continues, “When the U.S. is championing democracy and freedom to take hold in Iraq, Burma, Russia and other corners of the world, and when President Bush himself urged China to emulate Taiwan for Taiwan’s impressive democratic achievements, it is the greatest irony that the Bush Administration has decided to oppose Taiwan’s UN plan simply to appease the Beijing regime.”
美眾議員就台灣入聯公投，強烈讉責布希政府
眾議院外交事務委員會成員羅拉巴克與唐克多議員昨日聯署致函美國國務卿萊斯，不滿布希政府一再公開反對台灣入聯公投。他們表示：「台灣人民已爭取到在不受我們政府，中華人民共和國政府或是任何他國政府威脅下舉行各項選舉的權利－我們應該尊重他們的權利。」
這是美國國會截至目前為止就台灣入聯公投一事，措詞最強烈的一份聲明。議員們在信中一一列舉出布希政府官員近幾個月來公開反對台灣入聯公投的言論。議員們表示：「一次或二次公開發佈聲明應該足以表達行政部門的立場…..在六個月之內一而再、再而三地派遣官員反對與攻擊這個提案是不要的，尤其（我們）只是重覆中國外交部的詞藻。」
FAPA執行長陳文彥表示：「這兩位長期堅定支持台灣的國會朋友的信函，正表達了許多台灣人民與在美僑民的心聲。身為一個為台灣爭取國際支持的美國民間組織，我們對於美國政府反對入聯公投的立場感到訝異、沮喪與失望。」
陳文彥繼續表示：「當美國在伊拉克、緬甸、俄國等世界各地高倡民主與自由，當布希總統本人曾公開呼籲中國向台灣的民主成就學習的時候，布希政府在此時卻為了討好中國而反對台灣入聯公投時，這是對台灣民主最大的諷刺。」
