FAPA Statement On Taiwan’s Elections And U.S. Interests

On Friday, September 12^th 2014, at a conference on “Relations across the Taiwan Strait”, organized by the Brookings Institution, former Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan Richard Bush discussed how the United States government would approach the 2016 Taiwan presidential elections.

Mr. Bush indicated that “the US government, at some time and in some way will express itself on the implications of the 2016 elections for US interests.” He then described the dilemma that the US has a general principle of remaining neutral in elections of friendly democracies, but “… On the other hand, the US does have interests in the policies of any elected leadership…”

Mr. Bush then described a number of examples from the past, when the US expressed itself, covering the period 1996 through 2012.  He in particular mentioned the December 2003 episode, when President George Bush – seated next to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao – wagged his finger as if pointing at Taiwan’s president Chen Shui-bian, telling him “not to change the status quo” by pushing for a referendum.  In doing so, the US sided with a repressive and authoritarian China against a vibrant democracy intending to chart its own course through a democratic referendum.

Mr. Richard Bush ended his list of examples by referring to the September 2011 Financial Times episode, when – after a closed-door meeting of the US National Security Council with DPP Presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen – an NSC official called the Financial Times and expressed doubts about the China policies of Dr. Tsai. The call represented a serious violation of diplomatic protocol, and was also an unacceptable intrusion in Taiwan’s domestic politics, since it favored one side over the other.  Mr. Bush’s statement that .. this is something we do, implies that he endorses the way it was done.  This is totally unacceptable.

In response to Mr. Bush’s statement, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs wishes to state the following:

We have no objections to a constructive dialogue between the US and Taiwan on policy issues such as relations with China, but the way this is done is important.  The US needs to realize that for the people of Taiwan, China’s threatening policies and presence are an existential threat: the Beijing authorities want to incorporate Taiwan and stifle its democracy, period.

In such a situation it would be highly desirable if the United States would strongly support policies that are truly consonant with US national interests, namely encourage and enhance Taiwan’s democracy, and create the space for people of Taiwan to decide their own future, instead of restricting and diminishing that space, as implied in the situations Mr. Bush mentioned.  The latter approach runs counter to the values and principles of democracy and self-determination for which we in the United States should stand.

We therefore urge the US government to:

• Support policies that encourage and enhance Taiwan’s democracy, and thereby help create space for the people of Taiwan to decide their own future;
• Engage candidates and future leaders in a constructive two-way dialogue on important issues, and not resort to one-way dictates.
• Make it clear that the US will work closely with whatever leadership emerges from Taiwan’s free and fair elections to build on the enduring US commitment to Taiwan’s people, its prosperity, and peace.

Mark Kao, PhD, President, Formosan Association for Public Affairs

台灣人公共事務會聲明稿-台灣選舉與美國利益

在2014年9月12日於布魯金斯學會主辦的「兩岸關係」研討會中，美國在台協會前主席卜睿哲論及美國政府將如何涉入2016年台灣總統大選。

卜睿哲表示，「美國政府將會在某個時間點上以某種方式表達台灣2016年總統選舉對美國自身利益的影響。」他接著提及美國對於友好民主國家中的選舉保持中立的一貫原則時常面臨兩難困境，由於「⋯⋯將來被選出的領導人所採行的政策，對美國利益將產生實質的影響⋯⋯」

卜睿哲列舉了從1996年到2012年大選中美國多次表達美方立場的例證。他特別提及了2003年12月所發生的小插曲，時任美國總統喬治布希（中國國務院總理溫家寶身坐旁邊），向台灣總統陳水扁搖手示意「不准（以公投）改變現狀」。這個例證顯示出美國當時與專制的中國立場一致地壓制一個充滿活力的民主國家期盼透過民主公民投票勾畫自己未來的權利。

卜睿哲提到的最後一個例證是2011年9月發生的金融時報事件。就在美國國家安全委員會與民進黨總統候選人蔡英文閉門會議結束之後， 一位國家安全委員會官員以電話聯繫金融時報，表達美國對於蔡英文的中國政策充滿疑慮。這通電話不僅嚴重違反了外交禮節，同時，此舉明顯偏好特定陣營，對於台灣的國內政治更是造成難以接受的侵害。卜睿哲提到「這是我們（美方）經常在做的事」，意味著他贊同此舉，這是完全無法被接受的作法。

回應卜睿哲的論述，台灣人公共事務會謹此聲明如下：

我們絕不反對美國與台灣在政策議題上進行實質建設性的對話，例如商討雙方對中國的關係，然而，所採取的作法為何至關重要。美國需要認知到對於台灣人來說，中國對台灣所採取的威脅政策是既存的現實：北京當局從未放棄奪取台灣並扼殺其民主。

在這樣的情形之下，美國應當強力支持真正符合美國國家利益的政策，鼓勵及強化台灣的民主並且為台灣人創造更多得以決定自己未來的空間，而非用卜睿哲先前所述之各種美國限縮台灣人自決空間的反例。另外，卜睿哲所提及過去美方干涉台灣的種種作法與例證也同時違背了美國長久以來所支持的民主價值與自決原則

我們因此敦促美國政府：

• 支持有助於鼓勵並強化台灣民主的政策以創造台灣人決定自己未來的空間;
• 與候選人以及未來的領導人針對重大議題進行建設性的雙向對話，而非單向式的對話;
• 清楚表態美國將會與任何經過台灣自由與公平選舉所產生的領導人保持密切合作，落實美國長久以來保衛台灣人民繁榮與和平的承諾。

高龍榮博士
台灣人公共事務會會長

Photo Credit: VOA (Wikimedia Commons)

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U.S. Senators Introduce Resolution Calling For Support For Democracy And Human Rights In Taiwan

Today, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mark Begich (D-AK) jointly introduced a resolution “Expressing the Sense of Senate that the United States Government should continue to support democracy and human rights in Taiwan following the January 2012 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan.”

S.Res. 542 cites the summarized conclusions of a recently released report by the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) to the International Committee for Fair Elections in Taiwan (ICFET) that the national elections held in Taiwan on January 14, 2012, were “mostly free but only partly fair.” 

The report by the IEOM, which was made up of 19 observers from 8 countries, identified several diverse elements, including vote-buying, violations of administrative neutrality, and attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to influence the elections as worrying factors which may have affected the election outcome.  The report also stated that some actions and statements by the US government revealed a lack of neutrality on its part.

Further stating that “Taiwan’s free and open society plays a stabilizing role in the Asia Pacific region and is thus conducive to the interests of states in the region, including the United States, in furthering peace, prosperity and stability, “  the resolution outlines several recommendations in support of its stated goal of continuing U.S. support for democracy and human rights in Taiwan, including:

• Encouraging the people and the Government of Taiwan to take steps to continue to strengthen protection of democratic values and human rights in their country, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press;
• Encouraging the people and government of Taiwan to take into consideration the conclusions and recommendations of international election monitoring missions, including the final International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) report, as they seek to strengthen their democratic practices and human rights protections;
• Affirming that the future of Taiwan should be resolved peacefully, in accordance with democratic principles, and with the assent of the people of Taiwan.

Former governor Frank Murkowski, who led the IEOM mission, states: “I am pleased to see the work of our mission culminating in the insertion of the report into the Congressional Record.  It is a recognition of the hard work of the Taiwanese people achieving their democracy during the past two decades, but it is also a signal that much work still remains to be done in terms of fairness of the elections and establishing a level playing field.”

Professor Peng Ming-min, the chairman of the International Committee for Fair Elections in Taiwan (ICFET), who invited the mission to observe the elections, states: “We are grateful to governor Murkowski, Dr. Woodrow Clark (the lead author of the report), and the members of the observation mission for their work.  It helps us in Taiwan in our fight to protect the values of democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech, assembly and the press.  There has been an erosion of these values during the past four years. We want to ensure that Taiwan remains a free democracy.”

Dr. Mark Kao, president of the Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs, also hails the introduction of the resolution, saying that “Each election in Taiwan’s young democracy represents a precious opportunity to improve its capacity for democratic practice.” Dr. Kao concludes: “Senator Murkowski’s resolution not only recognizes the value of hard-fought democratic freedoms in Taiwan, but will provide an enduring framework for the United States government to continue considering the lessons of the January 2012 election.”

美參議員提出決議案呼籲支持台灣民主及人權

阿拉斯加州共和黨參議員穆考斯基（Lisa Murkowski）與民主黨參議員貝吉奇（Mark Begich）於今日共同提出標題為「參議院敦促美國政府應於2012年1月台灣總統暨立法委員選舉後，繼續支持台灣民主及人權」之決議案。

該決議文擷取「國際選舉觀察團」（International Election Observation Mission，IEOM）呈交給「台灣公正選舉國際委員會」（International Committee for Fair Elections in Taiwan，ICFET）的報告中之結論：「台灣於2012年1月14日所舉行之選舉雖屬自由開放，但其部分仍屬不公。」

IEOM的報告中係由來自八個國家共十九位觀察員共同草擬。報告中指出包括買票、行政不中立，及中國試圖干預等幾項因素，可能影響了選舉的最終結果。報告中也指出，美國政府的部分言行也存有立場不中立的成分。

該報告並提道：「台灣自由開放的社會扮演著維持亞太地區安定的角色，同時也是促進包括美國在內的週邊國家的和平、繁榮，及穩定的助力。」該決議案中並建議美國政府在持續支持台灣的民主與人權時所應採取之行動：

• 鼓勵台灣政府及人民繼續強化民主及人權價值，包括言論自由、集會自由，以及媒體自由；
• 鼓勵台灣政府及人民在致力於強化民主及人權時，也應審慎檢視國際選舉監督團的建議，包括IEOM最終的報告，
• 確立台灣的未來必須由台灣人民同意，以民主和平的方式解決。

IEOM領隊，前阿拉斯加州長穆考斯基（Frank Murkowski）說道：「我很高興見到我們此行所提出的報告被納入國會紀錄中。這是對台灣人民過去二十年致力於民主的認同，但也同時代表著要達到公平選舉的境地仍有許多需要努力的。」

邀請該觀察團訪台的ICFET主席彭明敏教授表示：「我們很感謝穆考斯基州長、克拉克（Woodrow Clark，該報告主筆）博士，及觀察團團員的努力。他們幫助我們在台灣為民主人權及言論、集會，和媒體自由奮鬥。過去四年這些重要價值有退化的現象。我們要確保台灣維持著自由和民主。」

台灣人公共事務會會長高龍榮博士表示：「台灣每一次的選舉都代表其更加實現並強化民主的寶貴機會。」高博士總結道：「穆考斯基參議員的決議案不只認同台灣難能可貴的民主自由價值，更提供美國政府一個永久的框架，以利持續思考此次選舉的課題。」

Photo Credit: Arctic Circle (Flickr)

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