For Immediate Release
Washington DC – May 11, 2011
Contact: (202) 547-3686
Taiwanese-Americans Disturbed By WHO Memo
Ma administration’s “international space” is illusory
The disclosure in Taiwan of an internal World Health Organization memo instructing its agencies to refer to Taiwan as “province of China” has sent shock waves through the overseas Taiwanese community.
The memo, dated September 14th 2010, states that procedures used by the WHO to facilitate relations with Taiwan were subject to Chinese approval. The memo further states that Taiwan “as a province of China, cannot be party to the International Health Regulations (IHR).”
The information in the memo stands in stark contrast to the image presented by the Ma Ying-jeou administration, which emphasized that Taiwan’s observership – started in 2009 – amounted to “substantive participation” and had come about as a result of direct negotiations with the WHO, without Chinese involvement.
FAPA President Bob Yang states in response to the revelation: “”The episode shows that the Ma administration has been deceptive, and given the Taiwan public an unwarranted rosy picture of the situation. The fact of the matter is that Taiwan’s participation is an empty shell, without any substance. This memo shows clearly the failure of the Ma administration’s policies to gain international space.”
Dr. Yang adds: “China continues to block real participation by Taiwan’s medical specialists in the WHO. This is a severe infringement on the basic rights of the Taiwanese people and a threat to the important exchange of health information through the WHO. By agreeing to Chinese demands and conditions, the WHO has violated the principle of universality for which it should stand.”
Dr. Yang concludes: “China’s motives are clear. It wants to absorb Taiwan and leave it no international space whatsoever. We do urge the United States government and other leaders in the international community to reject the imposition of such conditions and accept Taiwan as a full and equal member of the international community.”
台美人就世界衛生組織文件表達不滿
馬政府的「國際空間」不過是空談
海外的台灣人社區對世界衛生組織內部文件被揭發，內文指示其相關單位，以「中國省份」來稱呼台灣，感到震驚。
此份於2010年9月14日發出的密函，同時註記了世衛組織在與台灣聯繫的過程，都必須受到中國同意。密函也表示，台灣「身為中國的一省，無法參與國際衛生條例(IHR)。」
這份密函的內容，與馬英九政府一直以來試圖呈現出的景況，正好相反。馬政府強調，自2009年台灣取得觀察員地位以來，台灣「實質參與」了世衛活動，而這樣的結果是與世衛組織直接交涉的結果，而不是透過中國。
台灣人公共事務會會長楊英育就此事被揭露回應:「這樣的事件顯示出馬政府這些時日以來欺瞞台灣大眾，並誤導群眾相信前景一片看好。事實上，台灣的參與只是個空殼，虛有其表。這份文件凸顯馬政府拓展國際空間外交政策的失敗。」
他並補充:「中國持續地阻擋台灣醫學專家在世衛組織的實質參與。這嚴重侵犯了台灣人民的基本權益，並對透過世衛組織所獲得的重要衛生訊息交換造成威脅。世衛組織因屈服於中國的要求及條件，違背了它應該維護的普世價值。」
楊會長最後指出:「中國的動機是相當明顯的。它想要併吞台灣，不留下一絲一毫國際空間給台灣。我們呼籲美國政府及其他國際社會的領導者，拒絕這樣不合理的條件要求，並接受台灣成為國際社會中與他國平起平坐的一員。」
