For Immediate Release
Washington DC – July 13, 2007
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Senators Call For Taiwan’s Full WHO Membership
In a letter dated July 11, eight senators, led by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called upon the Administration to support Taiwan’s full membership in the World Health Organization.
Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Trent Lott (R-MS – co-chair Senate Taiwan Caucus), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Tim Johnson (D-SD – co-chair Senate Taiwan Caucus), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jon Tester (D-MT) conclude: “It is in America’s best interest to ensure that Taiwan is a full member of the WHO.”
Senator Brown was one of the founders and co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus when he was a House member and has been promoting Taiwan’s WHO campaign in the U.S. for the past decade.
Additionally, the Senators urge the Administration “to make a concerted effort in building a coalition of like-minded nations – in particular the member states of the European Union – in support of Taiwan’s membership.”
Regarding the memorandum of understanding the Chinese have concluded with the WHO, the Senators write: “The Administration must be very clear that it will not accept any memorandum of understanding (MOU) between China and the WHO regarding the exclusion of Taiwanese medical experts. It is essential that there will be no overt or covert MOU between the WHO and China regarding the implementation of the International Health Regulations, which will enter into force on June 15th 2007.”
FAPA President CT Lee, M.D. says: “Taiwan is currently the only missing link in the chain of WHO members in the Pacific that are currently under direct threat of SARS, birdflu, TB and/or other viral strains of disease. Therefore, Taiwan can and must no longer be left out of the WHO. Taiwan’s full membership in the WHO is not only in the interest of Taiwan’s 23 million people, it is in the interest of the rest of the world. It is common sense!”
美聯邦參議員支持台灣爭取世衛會員籍
在參議員布朗(Sherrod Brown, D-OH)的領銜下，八位美國聯邦參議員於7月11日聯署致函行政部門，呼籲美國政府支持台灣成為世衛會員國。
這八位議員分別是民主黨籍的俄亥俄州參議員布朗、台灣連線共同主席羅特(Trent Lott, R-MS)與強森(Tim Johnson, D-SD)，重量級民主黨參議員舒默(Charles Schumer, D-NY)與李柏曼(Joseph Lieberman, D-CT)，共和黨的奧克拉荷馬州參議員柯柏(Tom Coburn, R-OK)，喬治亞州的艾薩克議員(Johnny Isakson, R-GA)以及蒙大拿州的特斯特(Jon Tester, D-MT)參議員。其中，布朗參議員曾為眾議院台灣連線發起人與共同主席之一，也是推動美國支持台灣世衛參與的主要推手。
議員們在信裡呼籲行政部門「應該致力尋求類似態度的友邦，尤其是歐盟成員，共同聯合起來支持台灣的會員籍。」議員們也在信中關切中國和世衛之間簽訂的秘密協定。「（美國）政府必須清楚地表示美國不會接受任何中國與世衛關於排除台灣醫療專家所簽署的秘密協定。目前很重要的是確保中國和世衛之間沒有針對6月15日生效的國際醫療規定有任何類似不公開或是公開的協定。」議員們在信中最後表示：「確保台灣成為世衛會員國符合美國最佳的利益。」
FAPA會長李青泰表示：「台灣不能夠繼續成為太平洋區域鎖鏈裡唯一失聯的國家，尤其當太平洋地區仍然遭受SARS，禽流感，肺結核等疾病威脅。台灣成為世衛會員國不僅符合台灣二千三百萬人的利益，拜今日科技所賜，疾病無國界，台灣世衛參與更將符合全球的利益。」
