For Immediate Release
Washington DC – January 12, 2011
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Seventeen Taiwanese-American Organizations Write President Obama On Hu Jintao Visit:
Taiwan is a free and democratic nation, and is not part of China
In a joint letter to president Obama dated January 12th, the leaders of seventeen Taiwanese American organizations urged the President to support a free and democratic Taiwan. In the letter, the organizations state: “The U.S. needs to make it unambiguously clear that the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future, free from any outside interference.”
The organizations called upon President Obama to impress upon the Chinese “to dismantle its 1,600 missiles targeted at Taiwan and renounce the threat or use of force against Taiwan,” and “that it is essential to end Taiwan’s international political isolation.”
The organizations concluded: “Taiwan is a peace-loving country. It is able and willing to carry out United Nations Charter obligations. Taiwan deserves an equal place in the international family of nations, and its people should be fully represented in international organizations such as the U.N. and the World Health Organization.”
The President of FAPA, the main organizer of the rally and initiator of the joint letter, Bob Yang Ph.D., stated: “We want to emphasize that Taiwan was never part of the PRC, and that the PRC has no basis whatsoever to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. Taiwan did not “split off” from China after World War II, but was occupied by the losing side of the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang.”
Professor Yang continued: “We also urge the US government to stand by the principles of human rights, democracy and self-determination, and work towards normalization of relations between a free and democratic Taiwan and the rest of the international community.”
Professor Yang concluded: “We believe it is clearly a core U.S. interest to protect and nurture this young democracy. We therefore implore upon President Obama to adopt a “One Taiwan, One China” policy that recognizes Taiwan as being separate and distinct from China.”
In the meantime, the Taiwanese-American community is planning to join protests in front of the White House against China’s repression in Tibet and East Turkestan, and its threats and intimidation against Taiwan. The main message will be: “Taiwan is a free and democratic nation, and is not part of China.”
Letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama:
As you prepare to welcome China’s President Hu Jintao to Washington, we, the undersigned representatives of Taiwanese-American organizations, appeal to you to reaffirm America’s support for freedom, democracy and human rights in Taiwan.
We understand that in order to solve many of the world’s major problems, the United States needs to engage China. However, such engagement should not be done at the expense of America’s core values-freedom, democracy and human rights, as embodied in the nation of Taiwan.
In November 2009, during your visit to Beijing, Chinese leaders asserted that Taiwan was one of China’s so-called “”core interests.”” We ask you to remind Mr. Hu that it is a national interest of the United States that the future of Taiwan be resolved peacefully and with the express consent of the people of Taiwan.
We also request that you refrain from proffering U.S. respect for China’s “”sovereignty and territorial integrity”” as China lays specious claim over Taiwan. The U.S. needs to make it unambiguously clear that the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future, free from any outside interference.
We believe that it is in the best interest of the United States to take a clear position on the following issues as well.
We ask you to prod China to dismantle its 1,600 missiles targeted at Taiwan and renounce the threat or use of force against Taiwan. To safeguard Taiwan is to embrace freedom, democracy and human rights. This is the best way to maintain peace and stability in Asia and consistent with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. In so doing, America will be looked upon with respect and trust by the multitude of nations in that part of the world.
We also implore you to impress upon the Chinese delegation that it is essential to end Taiwan’s international political isolation. Taiwan is a peace-loving country. It is able and willing to carry out United Nations Charter obligations. Taiwan deserves an equal place in the international family of nations, and its people should be fully represented in international organizations such as the U.N. and the World Health Organization.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely yours,
1. Kang-Hou Wang, President
Dr. Kang-Lu Wang Memorial Foundation
2. Terri Giles, Executive Director
Formosa Foundation
3. Henry Lee, President
Formosan Association for Human Rights
4. Bob I. Yang, President
Formosan Association for Public Affairs
5. John Hsu, President
Friends of Taiwan, Inc.
6. Rev. Shang Nan Tsai, Chairman
National Taiwanese Presbyterian Council (U.S.A.)
7. James Tu, President
North America Taiwanese Engineers’ Association
8. Shyu-tu Lee, President
North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association
9. Leanne Lian-Yuan Chiou, President
North America Taiwanese Women’s Association
10. Norman Chiou, President
North American Taiwanese Medical Association
11. Ben Liu, President
Professor Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation
12. Chanchi Lee, President
Taiwan Hakka Association for Public Affairs in North America
13. Mike Kwan, President
Taiwanese Hakka Associations of America
14. Chung-nan Shih, President
Taiwanese Association of America
15. Susan Chang, President
World Federation of Taiwanese Associations
16. Susan Chang, Coordinator
World Taiwanese Congress
17. James S. Chen, Chairman
World United Formosans for Independence-U.S.A.
