ONLY THE PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE TAIWAN'S FUTURE: CHEN
ROC Central News Agency
2006-03-15 14:25:08
Taipei, March 15 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Wednesday that only the people have the right to decide Taiwan's future.
Chen said that any changes to the status quo would require the consent of the 23 million people of Taiwan through a referendum.
The president made the remarks when he met with visiting Palauan House Speak er Augustine Mesebeluu at the Presidential Office
Chen said Palau gained its independence from the U.S.-administered U.N. trusteeship in 1994 only after its people held eight rounds of referendum, adding that he admires the way that the Palauan people determined their country's future.
He added that in the past, the notion of referendums seemed to be a "ferocious beast tantamount to a disaster, war and a political taboo" in Taiwan, but the Democratic Progressive Party administration saw to it that a referendum law was enacted and in 2004, a national referendum was held for the first time in the country on whether Taiwan should purchase new missile batteries to beef up its defense in the face of China's mounting military threat.
(By Deborah Kuo)
ENDITEM/Li
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