::: Home > Search Search News UN effort 'shows Taiwan sovereignty,' says president 10/24/2007 (Taiwan News) President Chen Shui-bian declared Wednesday morning that the drive by the Democratic Progressive Party administration to join the United Nations as a new member under the name of "Taiwan" instead of the nation's official name was "a symbol that manifests Taiwan's national sovereignty" and that "Taiwan and China are different countries across the Taiwan Strait." Chen made the remarks in a brief address in front of the Office of the President to launch the 1,200 - kilometer "All People's Torch Relay to Advance into the United Nations." Over 1,000 administration and DPP party officials, runners, bicyclists and ordinary citizens participated in the opening ceremony and first stage of the 11- day relay run that will encompass all of Taiwan's 25 counties and cities, including the offshore island counties of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu before finishing on the evening of November 3 in front of the presidential complex. A small crowd had assembled in front of the Office of the President by 6:30 am when the daily flag raising ceremony took place, as persons of all ages gathered with United Nations flags, "UN for Taiwan" air batons, placards accusing the opposition Kuomintang for "obstructing" the DPP's UN entry effort and "Yes, Taiwan" banners in support of DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh. After an artificial "sacred flame" was lit while dancers in white togas performed a Greek dance to the tune of "Amazing Grace" followed by a lion dance, Chen expressed his "heartfelt gratitude" to the several thousand participants for "getting out of bed so early to participate in this highly significant 'All People's Torch Relay to Advance into the United Nations." Dressed in a T-shirt issued for the relay, Chen observed that sacred fire ceremonies were held to begin the ancient Olympic Games in Greece as "an eternal symbol of peace and reason." Chen claimed that the torch relay "showed that the 23 million Taiwanese people desired to use the most peaceful and reasonable method to clearly communicate our intense desire to join the United Nations under the name of 'Taiwan' to international society and especially urge the world democratic and freedom camp to respect the free choice of the Taiwanese people and assist us in entering the UN under the name of 'Taiwan' as a new member." The president related that this year marked the first time that the administration had officially applied to join the UN under the name of "Taiwan" and observed that even though the final result was "not satisfactory," he claimed that the controversial effort had successfully attracted considerable attention from international society and the world media. Chen said the DPP-led administration had designated October 24, the anniversary of the date on which the UN Charter took effect, as "Taiwan UN Day" and stated that a new "United Nations Research Center" under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would also begin operation Wednesday. The president insisted that "using the name of 'Taiwan' to enter the UN" is the will of the mainstream of Taiwanese public opinion and a multipartisan consensus and "is a manifestation of Taiwan's national sovereignty" and also stressed that Taiwan "has never been part of the People's Republic of China" and that "Taiwan and China are two countries on each side of the Taiwan Strait." Chen also said that the holding of the torch relay was "a loud protest" against the PRC's "denigration of Taiwan's national status" in the unsuccessful negotiations for the passage of the Olympic torch for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Finally, the president said that "the support of international society is extremely vital" for Taiwan's effort to join the UN, but emphasized that "even more important is that we must be united internally" and expressed the hope that the participation of as many citizens as possible in the torch relay would "deepen the consensus" in support of the UN drive. After delivering his remarks, Chen lit his torch with the "sacred fire" symbolizing "peace and reason" and light the torch of Vice President Annette Lu and also of two runners, who in turn lit the torches of 25 relay runners before he and Lu led the assembled runners to jog on Ketagalan Boulevard toward Jingfu Gate at the intersection of Zhongshan South Road in what quickly turned into something of a mob scene with television cameramen slowing the advance of President Chen and the runners. After reaching Gongyuan Road, Chen left the event after lighting a torch borne by DPP presidential nominee Frank Hsieh, who was accompanied by DPP vice presidential candidate Su Tseng-chang, Presidential Secretary - General Yeh Chu-lan and other campaign staffers. Hsieh and Su passed their torches onto other runners after reaching the east side of the Jingfu Gate traffic circle shortly after 7:30 am and the runners proceeded through Taipei and Xizhi and were scheduled to end the first day's run in Yilan Wednesday evening. Speaking to reporters in front of the former KMT headquarters, Hsieh said that the event showed the support for the effort to enter international society under the name of "Taiwan." "Many people were excited and I was as well," related Hsieh, who said he got up at 5:00 am to engage in "warm-up" exercises. The former DPP premier thanked media cameramen for slowing the pace and acknowledged that his recently injured foot had given him some pain, but said that "since so many people are participating my heart is happy." The event mainly proceeded somewhat chaotically, and there were a few disturbances on the sidelines, when police prevented members of the KMT Youth Corps from rushing into the restricted area with a large ROC flag. Moreover, joggers in the torch relay found their road blocked at the Control Yuan by over 30 members of the "Chinese Unificationist Party," a right-wing organization including several known gangland figures and former legislator Lin Cheng-chieh. At least one CUP member was slightly injured in a scuffle before the rival crowds were separated by police. Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Chin-jun expressed regret over the "unfortunate" clashes and urged all sides to "maintain calm." Chen said that "it felt very comfortable" to jog from the presidential office to the Executive Yuan and "this exercise is good and since this exercise can promote our national dignity manifest to the world is even better." "Everyone should remain calm and rational," urged the Cabinet chief-of-staff, who said that "entering the UN is a national consensus across all parties." "If we do not enter the United Nations, we will continue to suffer from being excluded from all kinds of UN peripheral international organizations in social, economic, education, culture, air traffic control and environmental protection so everyone hope to enter the UN," he said. "But entering the UN should not become an ideological struggle and we hope that through the passage of 25 cities and counties everyone can mutually encourage and not inappropriately include party flags or other banners or symbols that confuse the issue or engage in deliberate provocations." "Everyone should jog peacefully and joyfully so that the relay can be completed smoothly and happily," Chen said.
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=545661〈=eng_news&cate;_img=83.jpg&cate;_rss=news_Politics_TAIWAN
This story has been viewed 146 times.
Top
The UN"FAIR" at Taoyuan Airport. 
The torch line of the 11-day "Taiwan Run For UN" relay returned to Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei City yesterday. Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, launched the event as publicity and support for Taiwan's application to join the United Nations as a new member under the name of "Taiwan", alongside China. In a statement prior to the relay, Chen declared that "Taiwan and China are different countries across the Taiwan Strait."

The relay covered more than 1,200 km through 25 cities and counties since its start on October 24. The organizer of the event, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held night-time parties in the cities of Ilan, Hualien, Taitung, Pingtung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yunlin, Taichung, Miaoli, and Hsinchu as the relay progressed, and finally in Taipei City to welcome the torch relay team.

Shui-bian Chen, Annette Lu, Frank Hsieh (Taiwan's 2008 presidential candidate), and Cheng-chang Su wore "UN for Taiwan" T-Shirts to the Ketagalan Boulevard rally, lit a flame and led people in a formation of "VT" (abbreviation for Victory Taiwan) line.

The rally was met with protesters from the Red Shirts, which complain of corruption in the Chen government. In addition, the China Unification Promotion Party attempted several aggressive actions but ultimately carried out a peaceful protest. Protesters had demonstrated previously, on October 24 at the start of the relay.

Even though the premier of Taiwan, Frank Hsieh insisted on the use of products made in Taiwan during the celebration party in Taipei, mini torch lights held by supporters were "Made in China" and featured the "MIC" mark, according to Eastern Television in Taiwan. These were eventually removed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The use of Made in China products was criticized by DPP legislator Kuo-ching Lin after the television reports. 

The party ended with a queue of "VT" lines and a historical collection of two million signatures of support. The issue of Taiwan's application to the UN may become a variable in the upcoming 2008 Taiwan Presidential Election.