Posted on 07/04/2007 7:30:33 AM PDT by jdm
Taipei - Taiwan is to hold a street march in the capital Taipei in September to demand the right to join the United Nations, the country's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) party said on Wednesday. The DPP has decided to a march on September 19 to show that Taiwan has the right to hold a referendum on whether to join the UN under the name of "Taiwan," DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-long told reporters.
"A DPP poll shows that 71 per cent of Taiwanese support our country's applying to join the UN under the name of Taiwan, instead of under our current name the Republic of China. It also showed that 71 per cent think Taiwan should hold the referendum on joining the UN, even if the US is opposed to it," he said.
Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian plans to hold a referendum on Taiwan's joining the UN under the name Taiwan in March 2008, alongside the presidential election.
Taiwan has been the seat of the Republic of China's government-in- exile since 1949, when the Chinese Nationalists lost the Chinese Civil War and fled to Taiwan.
The Chinese Nationalist government continued to hold China's seat in the UN until 1971 when the UN expelled Taiwan to accept the People's Republic of China under Resolution 2758.
Since 1973, Taiwan, formally called the Republic of China (ROC), has been seeking to rejoin the UN under the name ROC but has failed each year due to opposition from China, prompting Taiwan to plan to apply for UN membership in September 2007 under the name of Taiwan.
China, which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province, is opposed to Taiwan's UN bid, and is particularly worried about the island's joining as Taiwan, seeing it as a plot to seek formal separation from China.
On Monday, Taiwan's Vice President Annette Lu said Taiwan plans to file a suit with the international court if UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon blocks Taiwan's applying for UN membership.
Lu said UN Resolution 2758 only solved the question of China's representation in the UN, but it has not solved the issue of the representation of the people of Taiwan in the UN.
Lu said it is a serious issue that Ban has made incorrect and distorted interpretation of UN Resolution 2758.
Therefore, President Chen plans to hold a high-level meeting within a month to discuss the judicial interpretation of UN Resolution 2758, and if necessary, Taiwan will take the case to the international court, Lu said.
Why, in the world, would an otherwise functioning adult make such a demand?
Demand “permission”
A privilege can be granted, a right is intrinsic.
The UN?...feh!
Count themselves lucky without membership.
Dear Taiwan: Be careful what you wish for.
Stupidly provocative gesture. It’s not the UN that will have to defend Taiwan if China attacks. Besides UN membership is worth less than a warm bucket of spit.
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