• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

U.S. congressmen voice support for Taiwan's U.N. bid

ROC Central News Agency

2007-09-15 12:43:58

    Washington, Sept. 14 (CNA) Several members of the U.S. Congress have expressed their support for Taiwan's bid to gain membership in the United Nations ahead of a Taiwan-organized rally promoting the bid slated for Sept. 15 in New York.

    In a letter to the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) , one of the rally's main organizers, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y) said he deeply regrets that the United Nations continues to disregard the sovereignty of Taiwan and deny the right of self-determination to its people. "There is no question that the United States must stand strong and advocate Taiwan's independence from China and inclusion as a United Nations member state," Weiner said.

    Releasing a statement on the issue, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) said it is incongruous that a world body founded on the principle of universality and self-determination excludes a free, democratic and independent nation whose population is larger than three-quarters of the United Nations' current member states.

    Rohrabacher said with Taiwan possessing all the qualifications to become a U.N. member and ample resources to contribute to the work and funding of the United Nations, the country's accession to the world body is long overdue. "Let's tell the world how unfair it has been to deny the 23 million people of Taiwan their voice and representation in the United Nations and especially their willingness to other nations in need, " he said.

    Also writing to the FAPA, Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) noted that Taiwan is not only a free, open and independent democracy, it is a good neighbor and friend to countries in need around the world.

    Towns said the people of Taiwan, who have demonstrated that they are responsible citizens of the world, deserve a voice and a seat at the United Nations.

    Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.) said that for too long the people of Taiwan have lived in the shadow of China, which he said has loomed so large that Taiwan has been blocked from membership in the United Nations. "China must recognize that Taiwan is neither rival nor vassal, rather it is a neighbor," Andrews said.

    Taiwan has not been represented in the United Nations since 1971, when the Republic of China's U.N. seat was taken over by the People's Republic of China. The country is bidding to join the world body under the name Taiwan this year for the first time.

    President Chen Shui-bian sent a membership application letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon July 19, but the letter was returned on the grounds that the United Nations follows a "one China" policy. Chen sent a second letter to Ban July 31 urging him to reconsider his decision, but that letter was also returned.

    Throwing their weight behind Taiwan, some of the country's diplomatic allies submitted a motion to the U.N. General Assembly last month requesting that the Security Council process Taiwan's membership application according to established procedures, in the hope that the motion can be included as a supplementary item in the agenda of the 62nd regular session of the General Assembly set to open Sept. 18.

(By Jorge Liu and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/J