For Immediate Release
Washington DC – November 7, 2008
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Taiwanese American Organizations Express Solidarity With The People Of Taiwan; Condemn The Ma Administration’s Trampling On Taiwan’s Sovereignty, Human Rights And Freedom
Nineteen Taiwanese American organizations released the following joint statement in light of recent developments in Taiwan surrounding China’s top negotiator Chen Yunlin’s visit to Taiwan.
The statement reads, “The Ma administration knows that the majority of the Taiwanese people do not support a rapid pro-China policy. Yet his administration decided to go ahead with hosting the meeting between Chen and Taiwan’s SEF chief Chiang Pin-kung. This decision is to deliberately provoke the Taiwanese people, divide the Taiwanese society and attack Taiwan’s fragile and hard-fought democracy. We strongly condemn the KMT government’s China policies and protest the government for denying Taiwan’s sovereignty and ignoring Taiwan’s human rights, freedom and democracy.”
In their statement, the organizations pledge to stand firmly with the people of Taiwan and state that they will inform the American media, elected officials and scholars of the situation and urge them to voice support for Taiwan’s democracy.
Bob Yang, President of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) that spearheaded the joint statement says, “It is disheartening to see the suppression of freedom in Taiwan on such a mass scale to merely accommodate a Communist Chinese official’s visit. Imagine what will happen if the North Korean leader Kim Jung Il visits the United States today and Americans are not allowed to display U.S. or South Korean flags or cannot wear certain T-shirts that might be considered offensive to Kim?”
Yang concludes, “Beijing and Washington chastised former President Chen Shui-bian for ‘provoking China’ and dividing Taiwanese society by inciting the Taiwanese identity. Despite the fact that the majority of the Taiwanese public is wary about the Chinese ill-intention against Taiwan, the Ma administration’s shoveling China’s Mr.Chen into the throat of the people of Taiwan is no less provocative. It is Mr. Ma’s provocation that is tearing up Taiwan’s already divisive society and fragile democracy.
Taiwanese American Organization Joint Statement
Taiwanese American organizations stand firmly together with the people of Taiwan and strongly condemn the Ma administration’s trampling of human rights, freedom and sovereignty of Taiwan.
The undersigned are deeply saddened by, concerned with and outraged at the unjustified actions taken by the Ma Ying-jeou administration to suppress mass protests during the visit of China’s ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin to Taiwan.
We are saddened because the Ma administration, in order to embrace this Chinese Communist representative, has violated and stripped the human rights (particularly the right of freedom of speech) of those who wished to demonstrate their love for Taiwan through waving flags, playing Taiwanese songs and other peaceful ways and means.
We are concerned because the Ma administration, in order to protect this Chinese Communist representative, ordered 7,000 police and rendered Taiwan a “police state”, a phenomenon only seen in an authoritarian country.
We are outraged because democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law that were earned with blood and tears by our Taiwanese forebears have been trampled upon in recent days. Taiwan has seemed to revert to the days of Martial Law when there was no freedom of speech, no personal liberties, no freedom of association but only the confrontation between the police force and public.
The Ma administration knows that the majority of the Taiwanese people do not support a rapid pro-China policy. Yet his administration decided to go ahead with hosting the meeting between Chen and Taiwan’s SEF chief Chiang Pin-kung. This decision is to deliberately provoke the Taiwanese people, divide the Taiwanese society and attack Taiwan’s fragile and hard-fought democracy. We strongly condemn the KMT government’s China policies and protest the government for denying Taiwan’s sovereignty and ignoring Taiwan’s human rights, freedom and democracy.
The Chinese government has targeted Taiwan with 1,400 missiles; has suppressed Taiwan’s international space and coerced the rest of the world to adopt a “One China policy” to deny the legitimacy of Taiwan as an independent sovereign nation. Facing a government which is this hostile toward Taiwan, the Ma administration, ever since it took power last May, has implemented China-appeasing policies with all sorts of agreements beneficial to China. Ma’s China toadying policies began with the Hu Jintao-Lien Chan meeting. However, China so far has not withdrawn one single missile, and it still blocks Taiwan’s bids for the UN and WHO participation.
In order to ensure the success of the Chen-Chiang meeting and to ingratiate itself with Chen, the Ma administration would rather sacrifice Taiwan’s democracy to create this illusion of cross-Strait harmony. The massive police force deployed by the government barricaded off streets, disapproved demonstration permits, and even confiscated national flags and Tibetan flags. We are not defending the Republic of China flag. We are defending the right of holding any flags. This is especially poignant when the memories of the Chinese Communist regime suppression of all Tibetan flags during the Beijing Olympics are still fresh in our minds. The fact that Tibetan flags are forbidden from flying freely in Taiwan during this dark hour adds great humiliation to this Asian model democracy.
The police have used unnecessarily excessive force during these protests. The police’s actions also seriously violated personal liberties and civil rights. We are concerned about the elected officials and protesters who were injured during the process. We also lodge a strong protest against the police agency.
Taiwan’s democracy is retreating, Taiwan’s freedom is diminishing, Taiwan’s human rights are shrinking. Although we are physically overseas, at this darkest hour in Taiwan’s democratic history, our hearts are with those that are protecting Taiwan’s democracy, sovereignty and human rights. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the record store near the Ambassador Hotel that was forced to close, with those whose flags were confiscated, with every protester at the “Yellow Ribbon Siege”, with college students who staged a sit-in in front of the Executive Yuan, and with many more of the Taiwanese who are as concerned about Taiwan’s future as we are.
Because we are here in the U.S., we will urge the American mainstream media, government officials and scholars to express their concern about these alarming developments and to issue public statements to support Taiwan’s democracy and sovereignty.
We fought to secure a democracy in Taiwan in the past. Today, we fight to protect and safeguard Taiwan’s democracy.
In alphabetical order of signatories’ last name
Jack Chen, President, Austin Institute for Taiwan Studies
James S. Chen, Chairman, World United Formosans for Independence-U.S.A.
Stephen Chen, President, Taiwan Solidarity Union-East Coast
Tzuhui Chen, Spokesperson, Taiwan Collegian
Susan Chang, President, World Federation of Taiwanese Associations
Terri Giles, Executive Director, Formosa Foundation
Adam Hung, President, Chhong-Bi Memorial Fund
C.K. Kuo, Coordinator, World Taiwanese Congress
David Lai, President, Taiwanese Hakka Association for Public Affairs in North America
Sue Lee, President, North America Taiwanese Women’s Association
Ben Liu, President, Professor Chen Wen-Chen’s Memorial Foundation and North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association
Josephine Pan, President, Taiwan Elite Alliance
Ron Shieh, President, Taiwanese Association of America
Pam Tsai, President, Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California
Jung Tsai, President, North American Taiwanese Medical Association
Pearl Tang, President, Formosan Association for Human Rights
Kang-Hou Wang, President, Dr. Kang-Lu Wang Memorial Foundation
Bob Yang, President, Formosan Association for Public Affairs
台美社團發表共同聲明讉責馬政府踐踏台灣民主，自由，人權與主權; 並表示與台灣人民堅定站在一起
19 個台美人社團於今天就陳雲林訪台發表下列共同聲明，聲明除了讉責馬英九政府，並直接向台灣人民表達台美社團與台灣台灣人民堅定站在一起，一同捍衛台灣民主，人權與主權。
聲明表示：「馬英九政府明知台灣民意不支持冒進的親中政策，卻仍然逕行決定陳江會在台灣舉行，這個舉動明顯地是要刻意挑釁台灣人民，分裂台灣社會，打擊台灣脆弱的民主。我們強烈讉責國民黨政府媚中政策，並抗議馬英九政府否認台灣主權，妄顧人權、自由與民主。」
參與聯署的組織在聲明裡表示他們將與台灣人民堅定站在一起，並將藉地利之便告知美國媒體，民意代表與學者台灣近來民主倒退的情況，也希望他們能夠出聲支持台灣的民主。
發起這份聲明的台灣人公共事務會會長楊英育表示：「看到台灣為了討好中國共產政府代表而大規模的鎮壓人民與限制自由，實在令人非常痛心。試想，今天如果北韓領導人金正日訪問美國，美國民眾不能持美國或是南韓旗幟，也不能穿著可能會冒犯金正日的T恤，會發生什麼樣的情形？」
楊英育繼續表示：「過去北京與華盛頓嚴詞批評前總統陳水扁以煽動台灣認同來挑釁中國與分化台灣社會。現在，馬英九政府明知大數台灣民眾仍然相當憂心中國的對台種種敵意，卻仍執意強迫台灣高規格歡迎陳雲林，這樣的行為也是蓄意挑釁。馬政府的行徑嚴重撕裂已經相當分化的台灣社會和脆弱的台灣民主。」
與台灣人民堅定站在一起，台美社團強烈讉責馬政府踐踏台灣民主，自由，人權與主權
對於近日來中國海協會會長陳雲林訪台所引起的社會不安與馬英九政府不當處理方式，我們感到極度難過、擔憂與憤怒。
我們難過，因為馬英九政府為了迎接這位中國共產政府的代表，不惜踐踏自由與人權，剝奪人民透過揮舞旗幟、播放台灣歌曲，甚至衣服穿著等表達他們愛台灣的言論自由權。
我們擔憂，因為馬英九政府為了保護這位中國共產政府的代表，出動七千名警力，台灣儼然成為極權社會才見得到的「警察國家(police state)」。
我們憤怒，因為我們看到過去血淚換來的民主、自由、人權與法治在近日被摧踐蹂躪。台灣彷彿回到數十年前的戒嚴時期：沒有言論自由，沒有人身自由，沒有集會結社自由，有的只是鎮暴警察與民眾的對峙。
馬英九政府明知台灣民意不支持冒進的親中政策，卻仍然逕行決定陳江會在台灣舉行，這個舉動明顯地是要刻意挑釁台灣人民，分裂台灣社會，打擊台灣脆弱的民主。我們強烈讉責國民黨政府媚中政策，並抗議馬英九政府否認台灣主權，妄顧人權、自由與民主。
中國政府以多達一千四百枚飛彈瞄準台灣，全力打壓台灣國際空間，脅迫全世界以一中政策否認台灣是一個主權獨立的國家。面對這樣一個敵對台灣的極權政府，國民黨政府上任後首要施政重點竟是盡其所能地討好中國，以各項利多中國的協定迎和中國。國民黨這種奉承中國的政策，早在連胡會就已公然開始。中國至今仍未撤除一顆導彈，仍然繼續封殺台灣聯合國與世衛參與。
為了確保陳江會順利舉行與陳雲林賓至如歸，國民黨政府寧願犧牲台灣民主換取兩岸共榮的假像。馬英九以優勢警力圍起封鎖線，不適時批准遊行申請，甚至連揮舞國旗與西藏的雪獅旗時都被警察強力奪取。今天我們不是在捍衛帶有國民黨黨意的中華民國國旗，我們捍衛的是台灣人民有著拿任何旗幟的權利。世界各國對於雪獅旗在奧運期間受到中國共產政府強力打壓都還記憶猶新，號稱為亞洲民主典範的台灣竟然也不允許西藏雪獅旗自由飄揚，這是台灣民主蒙羞的黑暗時刻。
佈署的警察與特勤人員的維安工作在過程中施力過當，並嚴重侵犯人身自由與妨礙公民權。我們對於因而受傷的民意代表以及抗議民眾致上慰問之意，也向警政單位表達嚴重抗議。
台灣的民主正在倒退中，台灣的自由正在消失中，台灣的人權正在萎縮中。我們人雖然身在海外，在這個台灣民主進程最黑暗的時刻，我們的心與所有維護台灣民主、主權與人權的台灣人民相連在一起，我們肩併肩與國賓飯店外被迫關門的唱片行、旗幟被強行沒收的民眾，與參與圍城行動的每一個市井小民，與在行政院前靜坐的大學生們，以及眾多和我們一樣憂心台灣前途的朋友們站在一起。
我們也將藉身在美國地利之便，呼籲美國主流媒體、政界、學者關心台灣近日來的不利發展，並爭取國際友人公開發聲支持台灣的主權與民主。
過去我們為爭取民主而努力，今日我們為保衛台灣民主而盡力。
依聯署者英文姓氏排列
陳春興，奧斯汀台灣研究社
陳少明，台灣獨立建國聯盟本部
陳貞華，台灣團結聯盟美東黨部
陳姿憓，台灣學生社
程韻如，世界台灣同鄉聯合會
Terri Giles, 福爾摩沙基金會
洪聲宏，聰美姐紀念基金會
郭重國，世界台灣人大會
謝淑華，北美洲台灣婦女會
賴江椿，北美台灣客家公共事務會
劉斌碩，陳文成教授紀念基金會與北美洲台灣人教授協會
潘掬慧，台灣優社
謝榮峻，全美台灣同鄉會
陳碧雲，北加州台灣同鄉聯合會
蔡榮聰，北美洲台灣人醫師協會
王明珠，台灣人權協會
王康厚，王康陸博士紀念基金會
楊英育，台灣人公共事務會
