• Military

• WMD Menu                           

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

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Moment of history: Taiwan returns to WHA as observer

ROC Central News Agency

2009/05/18 21:12:02

By Y.C. Jou, Chen Ching-fang and Sofia Wu

Geneva, May 18 (CNA) History was made Monday when Taiwan's health minister took his seat as an observer at the annual meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO), ending Taiwan's nearly four decades of exile from United Nations agencies.

"I feel really good, really terrific, " said an emotional Yeh Ching-chuan, minister of Taiwan's Cabinet-level Department of Health.

Yeh is the first Taiwanese health minister admitted to an event hosted by a U.N.-affiliated agency since the Republic of China lost its U.N. membership in 1971.

"Thirty-eight years are a long wait and I feel honored to be able to represent Taiwan in the World Health Assembly," Yeh said as he sat down in his seat.

The 2009 World Health Assembly (WHA) opened Monday for a five-day run with swine flu and the possibility of a vaccine topping the agenda.

Describing the feeling of being able to attend as an observer as "fresh, " Yeh said his presence at the event is the result of strenuous efforts made by a great number of people.

Yeh greeted those sitting next to him, including a representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) who said to Yeh: "Here you are after a long wait." A U.S. health official also greeted Yeh, saying: "It's time." After 12 failed attempts, Taiwan was invited to attend the WHA this year for the first time as an observer under the designation "Chinese Taipei." The invitation was widely seen as the result of improving relations across the Taiwan Strait over the past year under President Ma Ying-jeou's pragmatic policy of engagement with China.

In the past, China relentlessly blocked Taiwan's presence in any U.N.-affiliated activities for fear of giving a wrong impression that it recognized Taiwan's statehood.

According to a list of delegates to the WHA released earlier in the day, Yeh is listed as "Dr. Ching-Chuan Yeh" and identified as "Minister, Department of Health." Other Department of Health officials in Taiwan's 15-member delegation are also identified by their official titles.

In an effort to alleviate the apprehension of some pro-independence activists back home that Taiwan may be belittled in the WHA under the name "Chinese Taipei, " sources close to the Taiwan delegation said Yeh is being treated the same as representatives of other WHA observers and WHO member states.

Yeh is seated in the same row as representatives of six other WHA observers: the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the IFRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Order of Malta, Palestine and the Holy See (Vatican).

Yeh's appearance was covered by international media, with one foreign journalist asking him if he would request help from the WHO on swine flu after not having access to the WHO during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in 2003.

"That's why I came, " Yeh said. "I hope I can obtain information from the WHO."