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07/09/2007: "PRESIDENT CHEN SUI-BIAN ....... about to speak"
Taiwan plans to apply for membership to the United Nations using the name preferred by the entire world, which is of course Taiwan.
The USA drafted the Taiwan Relations Act (1979) with the name Taiwan not Republic of China Relations Act).
Membership to the World Health Organization would be of benefit to not only Taiwan also the world for several reasons too lengthy and beyond my limited scope to detail here.
The common call for Taiwan to keep the status quo in the Taiwan Strait should also apply to the other side with an ever increasing number of missiles.
In Australia few people know much of the situation, culture and lifestyle of Taiwan.
This is a pity and something that I trust will change in time. Many Taiwanese live in Australia, especially at Brisbane. I'd be one of the first Australian's I know of that would consider a move to Taiwan, if only as a regular visitor.
Meanwhile we had an earthquake of 6.6 of the Richter scale at 2AM (registering about 4 in the city). It woke me up. A smaller after-shock followed. More is likely to follow this week.
Three USA congressmen inserted remarks in the official Congressional Record on Thursday backing UN membership and criticizing Ban for his rejection of two applications from Taiwan for General Assembly action on its entry bid.
Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo argued against US President George W. Bush's position opposing Taiwan's UN entry. Ticking off Taiwan's democratic attributes, he said: "One would think that Taiwan's efforts to engage the international community would be welcomed and applauded by most everybody."
Taking issue with fellow Republican Bush, Tancredo faulted the US "one China" policy as "irrational and outdated."
"President Bush should live up to the promise he made in his inaugural address, `when you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you,' and support Taiwan's bid to join the UN," he said. "Taiwan is by all measures a sovereign and independent nation and I hope the United States and other free nations of the world will finally muster the courage to stand up and say so."
Representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina complained that Taiwan's "23 million people have been deprived of their fundamental human rights," by not being in the UN.
"It is now time to remedy this situation," Butterfield said.
He said that to reject Taiwan's membership based on Resolution 2758 is a "flawed" argument because "it fails to recognize the fact that Taiwan is a sovereign government with its own national flag, Constitution, armed forces and is recognized by more than 20 independent nations."
"Even more importantly, the people of Taiwan have authorized their leader, President Chen Shui-bian, to express to the world the desire of Taiwan to belong to this important world body," he said.
Meanwhile, more than 20 major Taiwanese-American and allied groups on Thursday sent a letter to Ban that urged him to forward Taiwan's application to the Security Council and General Assembly, which, the letter said, are the only UN organs under UN rules authorized to review and decide on UN membership applications.
"To exclude Taiwan on the basis of Resolution 2758 is dishonest and unconscionable," the letter said.
"The sovereignty of Taiwan is not an issue [in the resolution] ... Resolution 2758 does not substantiate the spurious claim that Taiwan is part of China," the letter said, noting that "freely and democratically elected" Chen has "clearly stated that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country. His application for UN membership, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, should be accepted, discussed and approved."
