For Immediate Release
Washington DC – April 25, 2008
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Taiwanese American Organizations Urge President Bush Not to Attend Olympic Games in China Over Taiwan, Tibet and Human Rights
Over twenty Taiwanese American organizations sent the following letter to President Bush, urging him not to attend the Olympic games in China and expressing their deep concern over Chinese government’s recent violent crackdown in Tibet and China’s increasing missile threat against Taiwan.
FAPA President Bob Yang states, “Long before this torch relay fiasco started, China attempted to label the torch relay route in Taiwan a domestic one rather than an international one as it should be. That action by China contradicts its claim that sports should not mix with politics.” Yang concludes, “As long as China continues to disrespect human rights abroad and at home, Western leader should not reward such behavior by gracing the Olympics with their attendance.”
Below is the text of the letter:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
April 24, 2008
Dear President Bush:
As leaders of Taiwanese-American and allied organizations, we write today to urge you not to attend the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in China. We do so to express our deep concern about the brutal Chinese crackdown against the peace-loving people of Tibet, and about China’s unending intimidation, now with over 1,000 missiles, of the free and democratic nation of Taiwan.
China professes to be a responsible stakeholder in the international community and the Chinese leaders covet the glory of staging the Olympic Games in Beijing. However, the cruel suppression of the protests in Tibet should not be tolerated as “business as usual.” Your repeated calls for China to enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama have all but fallen on deaf ears. By attending these games, you would be viewed as endorsing China’s appalling policies toward Tibet and Taiwan. These are policies antithetic to America’s core values of freedom, democracy and human rights. In the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, China is carrying out “cultural genocide” in Tibet. The United States must not be seen as colluding in committing this crime.
In his recent telephone conversation with you, Chinese President Hu Jintao demanded that, as a precondition for Tibet-China dialogue, the Dalai Lama accept “that Tibet and Taiwan are inalienable parts of China.” Hu’s behavior can only be described as arrogant and imperialistic. Hu is a dictator to be shunned, rather than an enlightened leader with whom you should share the stage in celebrating the Olympics.
We believe that responsible heads of state of the world should therefore not attend the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as long as China perpetuates its reign of terror in Tibet and continues to threaten Taiwan with the use of force. Already several key European leaders have announced their intention to abstain from the opening ceremonies. We urge you to make a similar declaration now.
Respectfully yours*,
台美人社團公開信
致 布希總統：
因為我們強烈關切中國殘忍對待愛好和平的西藏人民，以及中國使用超過一千顆長程飛彈無止境地欺凌自由民主的台灣，身為台裔美國人以及相關台裔友盟組織團體的領導(負責)人，我們強烈呼籲您不要參加二００八在中國舉辦的夏季奧運會。
雖然中國公開宣稱自己是國際社會肩負責任的成員, 而且中國的領導人盡情追逐奧運在北京登台的榮耀。但從其對西藏示威血腥鎮壓的角度來看，我們不認為這只是例行公事。如果前往參加奧運會，您將會被視為贊同中國對西藏與台灣的可怖政策，這樣將有違美國一向主張對自由民主人權的核心價值。引鑒達賴喇嘛的話來說，中國正在西藏實行”文化的大屠殺”，美國一定不能被認為是這項罪行的幫凶。
中國國家主席胡錦濤在最近與您的電話談話中，要求達賴喇嘛必先接受”西藏與台灣是中國不可分割的一部份”的預設條件才能展開西藏與中國的對話。胡的行徑只能以高傲霸。他是一個你必須極力迴避的獨裁者而不是一個您應該與之同台慶祝奧運的好領袖。
只要中國繼續在西藏境內的恐怖鎮壓以及使用武力威脅台灣，我們認為世界各國的重要領袖都不應該參加二００八在中國舉辦的夏季奧運會。有幾位歐洲的主要領袖已經宣佈他們不會參加奧運的開幕儀式，我們也強烈呼籲您能作相同的宣告。
此致
奧斯汀台灣研究社社長 陳春興
Jack Chen, President
Austin Institute for Taiwan Studies
聰美基金會會長 黃聲弘
Adam Huang, President
Chong-Bi Memorial Fund
王康陸博士紀念基金會會長 王康厚
Kang-Hou Wang, President
Dr. Kang-Lu Wang Memorial Foundation
Terri Giles, Executive Director
Formosa Foundation
全美台灣人權協會會長 王明珠
Pearl Tang, President
Formosan Association for Human Rights
台灣人公共事務會會長 楊英育
Bob I. Yang, President
Formosan Association for Public Affairs
北美洲台灣人教授協會會長 黃界清
Je-Chin Han, President
North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association
北美洲台灣婦女會會長 洪珠美
Darice Lee, President
North America Taiwanese Women’s Association
北美洲台灣人醫師協會會長 蔡榮聰
North American Taiwanese Medical Association
陳文成教授紀念基金會會長 劉彬碩
Ben Pin-Shuo Liu, President
Professor Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation
台灣優社社長 潘掬慧
Josephine Pan, President
Taiwan Elite Alliance
北美台灣客家公共事務協會會長 賴江椿
David Lai, President
Taiwan Hakka Association for Public Affairs in North America
台灣團結聯盟美東總部部長 陳貞華
Stephen Chen, President
Taiwan Solidarity Union-East Coast
北加州臺灣同鄉聯合會會長 陳媽及
Ma-chi Chen, President
Taiwanese American Federation of Northern California
全美台灣同鄉會會長 謝榮峻
Ron Shieh, President
Taiwanese Association of America
台灣學生社發言人 陳姿憓
Tzuhui Chen, Spokesperson
Taiwanese Collegian
全美台灣客家會會長 王興富
Fred H. Wang, President
Taiwanese Hakka Association of America
世界台灣客家聯合會會長 羅能平
Peter N.P. Lo, President
Taiwanese Hakka Association of the World
世界台灣同鄉會聯合會會長 程韻如
Susan Chang, President
World Federation of Taiwanese Associations
世界台灣人大會召集人 郭重國
C.K. Kuo, Coordinator
World Taiwanese Congress
台灣獨立建國聯盟美國本部主席 陳少明
James S. Chen, Chairman
World United Formosans for Independence-U.S.A.
