As I See It
The Message from the President Emeritus... by Ted Anderson
My Sojourn Seeking Justice And Truth
The purpose of our trip to Taiwan September 1, to September 7, 2009, was to meet with Past President Chen Shui-bein, and to witness the disaster caused by typhoon Marakot. In Addition, we were able to schedule appointments with Vice President Annet Liu, Mark Chen, former Foreign Minister and Advisor to President Chen, Rev. Andrew T. C. Chang, General Secretary to the General Assembly, The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, and Jerome Keating, PhD. Also, we were able to meet with key human rights advocates through-out Taiwan. We were advised, by several people, not to venture into the disaster area due to very bad roads and the spread of some kind of disease.
The most burning issue on our hearts is why Mr. Ma Ying-jeau and his band of lawbreakers were applying such harsh and cruel punishment on Chen Shui-bian. On September 3rd, 2009, at 9:30 a.m., we had an appointment to visit past President Abian. When his prison guard brought him to the interview station, he had a forced smile and tried to appear up-beat. His appearance tugged at my heart strings, even though his spirits seemed to be high. Chen Shui-bian is a very strong man and it will take more than Ma�s tactics to beat him down. We must not forget that KMT tried to kill Chen Shui-bian when he ran for County Governor of Tainan, they failed, but his wife was disabled. We must not forget that during the Presidential Campaign of 2004, an attempt was again made to take the life of Chen Shui-bein. Again KMT failed. Make no mistake about this, Chen Shui-bian is a great threat to Mr. Ma Ying-jeau, and is a formidable barrier to what Ma desires to accomplish, and that is to be the Dictator of Taiwan. Chen Shui- bian, is a formidable force in Taiwan, and has the respect of people in other parts of the world. If Mr. Ma is able to accomplish his goals, democracy, freedom, truth, and justice�the very core values of democracy�are dead in Taiwan. There are some who feel that President Ma Ying- jeau�s next move is to take over the military. He obviously controls the justice system, and if he is able to take over the military, it will be the coup-de-grace for freedom in Taiwan.
My wife and I express deep sorrow and send our most sincere condolences to the families and victims of typhoon Marakot. However, we are greatly incensed, dismayed, and disappointed that President Ma Ying-jeau did not move with all deliberate speed in dealing with all of the disastrous aspects of typhoon Marakot. Mr. Ma was like Nero, he fiddled while Rome burned. Why President Ma Ying-jeau refused assistance for the Taiwanese people in the disaster areas from countries of the world---the truth will never be known. To quote the Friday, September 4th ,2009, Taipei Times (Opinion Section) �Taiwan has far too many civil servants that deeply believe that politics is highest form of trickery. They are apt at deceiving the public and are used to telling lies�. There is a rumor that indicated China volunteered to send its� troops into the typhoon disaster area; the United States got wind of this and ordered a naval vessel with helicopters to the disaster area. What if---what if China�s offer had been accepted by Ma, to send their troops into Taiwan. China could take-over Taiwan with-out firing a shot or a missile.
We can no longer sit on our posteriors and contemplate our naval. The time for rhetoric is over. We must act NOW! President Abraham Lincoln was receiving daily messages from a General in the field that said �Headquarters� in the saddle�. Finally President Lincoln got tired receiving the same old messages and replied �put hind quarters in Headquarters�.�
Permit me to digress a little, to provide you with recent political financial information regarding the assets of four (4) political parties on Taiwan: (1) KMT, $767 million dollars; (2) DPP, $7.6 million dollars; (3) TSU, $450,000 thousand dollars; (4) PFP, (-$4 million dollars). Jesse Unruh, a former California politician, said �money is the mother�s milk of politics�.
My perspective, as I see it, regarding Taiwan as to its� present political state, is that there is no Justice and no truth, because President Ma does not have any justice or truth in his heart (I question if he even has a heart). In closing, I am going to be very candid about the present situation in Taiwan. The Taiwanese community, wherever they are located, are responsible for What is happening in Taiwan. You show up in groves to vote in Presidential campaigns, but hardly show-up to vote in the Legislature elections. A President cannot accomplish his party�s mission unless he has the backing of his parties� legislators. What�s my advice? Take back the Legislature at the up-coming legislative elections in Taiwan. I am strongly suggesting that collaborative efforts be undertaken with all organizations favorable and supportive of Taiwan�s democratic endeavors. Coalitions must be developed with different ethnic groups. The Taiwanese communities in the United States must not be islands unto themselves. Most importantly, how effective are the elective officials---those that you help to finance their campaigns---in getting the President, the State Department, the Department of Commerce and the Justice Department, to pay attention to those real issues facing 23,000,000 people Formosa, now called Taiwan----and NOT Taiwan-China. You hear that US State Department.
Nobleness Oblige.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Open Letter from international scholars to Speaker Wang expressing concern about ECFA
王院長鈞鑒：
因為我們是自由與民主台灣的強力支持者，我們非常關心台灣政府與中華人民共和國政府正在談判的經濟合作架構協議(ECFA)。我們希望您能關注這個協議所產生的一些疑慮。
雖然在原則上，兩個國家間的經濟協議是值得讚許的；我們關心的是此協議談判過程缺乏透明度，而台灣的立法院也無法發揮制衡的力量。這種秘密的談判方式引起媒體和民間團體的不滿，他們抱怨台灣政府對於此協議的內容和將會涉及的層面，和對台灣經濟的影響完全沒有交代清楚，特別是對農業，小型和中等規模的產業和勞動階層的影響都語焉不詳。
此外，立法院在此決策過程當中似乎是被排除在外，這對台灣的民主制度並不是一個好兆頭。在此我們敦促您重視民主國家制衡制度的重要性。更重要的是台灣政府在協議簽署前應舉辨公民投票以尋求全民共識。
在台灣和海外有很多人關心台灣與中國更緊密的經貿關係會影響台灣事實的獨立和主權: 他們認為這更緊密的經貿關係，將給予北京政府更大的影響力，進一步在政治上孤立台灣。這將使得台灣人民愈來愈難維護他們的自由民主，基本人權以及決定自己前途的權利。台灣的難題是歸因於中國對台灣主權無理的要求，而且不承認自由﹐民主和獨立台灣的生存權利。
如果台灣日益進入強權中國的勢力範圍，這對台灣的民主和人權， 以及它作為東亞民主燈塔的角色將有負面的影響。我們認為馬政府目前治國的方法，處處聽命於中國尤其是有關台灣的國際關係。我們認為台灣有權利與其他國家簽署自由貿易協定，不必透過中國。
我們也可以參考最近在美國國會兩位台灣最強大支持者的聲明，他們對此協定也多有批評: 在 2010 年 4 月28 日的簡報中，眾議員 Robert Andrew (民主黨-紐澤西州) 將此協議比喻成一個台灣將難以逃脫的 "鳥籠"， 而國會議員 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (共和黨-佛羅裡達州) 則提到它將成為"木馬屠城" 的工具, 台灣絕對不能讓它進來﹐因為北京當局利用它當政治手段，而起最終目的是要併吞台灣。
院長先生﹐我們希望您會同意我們的看法﹐也就是維護台灣民主自由的迫切重要性﹐不只是針對台灣而言，它也牽連到東亞整體上的自由民主。因此我們敦促您嚴格謹慎審查此協議的條文，以充份保障台灣人民的經濟，政治和戰略利益。
我們期待您的回應。
敬祝
順頌 鈞安
2010年五月十四日
署名人（依英文姓氏排列）:
1. Nat Bellocchi白樂崎〔前美國在台協會主席﹞
2. Coen Blaauw昆布勞﹝美國台灣人公共事務會 ﹞
3. Gordon G. Chang 章家敦﹝「即將崩潰的中國」作者﹞
4. Peter Chow周鉅原﹝美國紐約市立學院經濟學教授﹞
5. Stephane Corcuff﹝法國里昂大學「中國和台灣研究」政治學副教授﹞
6. Michael Danielsen﹝丹麥哥本哈根「台灣一角」主席 ﹞
7. June Teufel Dreyer金德芳﹝美國邁阿密大學政治學教授﹞
8. Norman W. Getsinger, 美國外交人員 (已退休), 華府喬治華盛頓大學研究
9. Terri Giles賈泰麗﹝美國福爾摩莎基金會執行長﹞
10. Michael Rand Hoare﹝英國倫敦大學退休副教授﹞
11. Thomas G. Hughes ﹝美國前參議員斐爾國會辦公室主任﹞
12. Richard C. Kagan柯耕義﹝美國翰林大學教授歷史系退休教授﹞
13. Jerome F. Keating祈潤夫﹝國立台北大學副教授（已退休）﹞
14. David Kilgour﹝加拿大前國會議員、亞太國務卿﹞
15. André Laliberté﹝加拿大渥太華大學政治學副教授﹞
16. Daniel Lynch ﹝美國南加州大學副教授﹞
17. Victor H. Mair﹝美國賓夕法尼亞大學中國語言和文學系教授﹞
18. Donald Rodgers﹝美國德州奧斯汀大學政治學副教授﹞
19. Terence C. Russell, 加拿大曼尼托巴大學﹐亞洲研究中心中文副教授
20. Christian Schafferer﹝僑光科技大學國際貿易系副教授，奧地利東亞研究協會主任，「當代東亞」主編﹞
21. Michael Stainton﹝加拿大多倫多York Center for Asia Research﹞
22. Peter Tague﹝美國喬治城大學法律系教授﹞
23. John Tkacik譚慎格﹝前美國傳統基金會資深研究員及前美國務院台灣事務協調處官員﹞
24. Arthur Waldron林蔚﹝美國賓夕法尼亞大學國際關係學教授﹞
25. Vincent Wei-cheng Wang王維正﹝美國里奇蒙大學政治學教授﹞
26. Gerrit van der Wees韋傑理﹝台灣公報編輯﹞
27. Michael Yahuda, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics and Visiting scholar, George Washington University〔英國倫敦經政學院退休教授, 美國華府喬治華盛頓大學訪問學者〕
28. Stephen Yates葉望輝 ﹝ DC Asia諮詢顧問團總裁，前美國副總統國家安全政策顧問﹞
因為我們是自由與民主台灣的強力支持者，我們非常關心台灣政府與中華人民共和國政府正在談判的經濟合作架構協議(ECFA)。我們希望您能關注這個協議所產生的一些疑慮。
雖然在原則上，兩個國家間的經濟協議是值得讚許的；我們關心的是此協議談判過程缺乏透明度，而台灣的立法院也無法發揮制衡的力量。這種秘密的談判方式引起媒體和民間團體的不滿，他們抱怨台灣政府對於此協議的內容和將會涉及的層面，和對台灣經濟的影響完全沒有交代清楚，特別是對農業，小型和中等規模的產業和勞動階層的影響都語焉不詳。
此外，立法院在此決策過程當中似乎是被排除在外，這對台灣的民主制度並不是一個好兆頭。在此我們敦促您重視民主國家制衡制度的重要性。更重要的是台灣政府在協議簽署前應舉辨公民投票以尋求全民共識。
在台灣和海外有很多人關心台灣與中國更緊密的經貿關係會影響台灣事實的獨立和主權: 他們認為這更緊密的經貿關係，將給予北京政府更大的影響力，進一步在政治上孤立台灣。這將使得台灣人民愈來愈難維護他們的自由民主，基本人權以及決定自己前途的權利。台灣的難題是歸因於中國對台灣主權無理的要求，而且不承認自由﹐民主和獨立台灣的生存權利。
如果台灣日益進入強權中國的勢力範圍，這對台灣的民主和人權， 以及它作為東亞民主燈塔的角色將有負面的影響。我們認為馬政府目前治國的方法，處處聽命於中國尤其是有關台灣的國際關係。我們認為台灣有權利與其他國家簽署自由貿易協定，不必透過中國。
我們也可以參考最近在美國國會兩位台灣最強大支持者的聲明，他們對此協定也多有批評: 在 2010 年 4 月28 日的簡報中，眾議員 Robert Andrew (民主黨-紐澤西州) 將此協議比喻成一個台灣將難以逃脫的 "鳥籠"， 而國會議員 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (共和黨-佛羅裡達州) 則提到它將成為"木馬屠城" 的工具, 台灣絕對不能讓它進來﹐因為北京當局利用它當政治手段，而起最終目的是要併吞台灣。
院長先生﹐我們希望您會同意我們的看法﹐也就是維護台灣民主自由的迫切重要性﹐不只是針對台灣而言，它也牽連到東亞整體上的自由民主。因此我們敦促您嚴格謹慎審查此協議的條文，以充份保障台灣人民的經濟，政治和戰略利益。
我們期待您的回應。
敬祝
順頌 鈞安
2010年五月十四日
署名人（依英文姓氏排列）:
1. Nat Bellocchi白樂崎〔前美國在台協會主席﹞
2. Coen Blaauw昆布勞﹝美國台灣人公共事務會 ﹞
3. Gordon G. Chang 章家敦﹝「即將崩潰的中國」作者﹞
4. Peter Chow周鉅原﹝美國紐約市立學院經濟學教授﹞
5. Stephane Corcuff﹝法國里昂大學「中國和台灣研究」政治學副教授﹞
6. Michael Danielsen﹝丹麥哥本哈根「台灣一角」主席 ﹞
7. June Teufel Dreyer金德芳﹝美國邁阿密大學政治學教授﹞
8. Norman W. Getsinger, 美國外交人員 (已退休), 華府喬治華盛頓大學研究
9. Terri Giles賈泰麗﹝美國福爾摩莎基金會執行長﹞
10. Michael Rand Hoare﹝英國倫敦大學退休副教授﹞
11. Thomas G. Hughes ﹝美國前參議員斐爾國會辦公室主任﹞
12. Richard C. Kagan柯耕義﹝美國翰林大學教授歷史系退休教授﹞
13. Jerome F. Keating祈潤夫﹝國立台北大學副教授（已退休）﹞
14. David Kilgour﹝加拿大前國會議員、亞太國務卿﹞
15. André Laliberté﹝加拿大渥太華大學政治學副教授﹞
16. Daniel Lynch ﹝美國南加州大學副教授﹞
17. Victor H. Mair﹝美國賓夕法尼亞大學中國語言和文學系教授﹞
18. Donald Rodgers﹝美國德州奧斯汀大學政治學副教授﹞
19. Terence C. Russell, 加拿大曼尼托巴大學﹐亞洲研究中心中文副教授
20. Christian Schafferer﹝僑光科技大學國際貿易系副教授，奧地利東亞研究協會主任，「當代東亞」主編﹞
21. Michael Stainton﹝加拿大多倫多York Center for Asia Research﹞
22. Peter Tague﹝美國喬治城大學法律系教授﹞
23. John Tkacik譚慎格﹝前美國傳統基金會資深研究員及前美國務院台灣事務協調處官員﹞
24. Arthur Waldron林蔚﹝美國賓夕法尼亞大學國際關係學教授﹞
25. Vincent Wei-cheng Wang王維正﹝美國里奇蒙大學政治學教授﹞
26. Gerrit van der Wees韋傑理﹝台灣公報編輯﹞
27. Michael Yahuda, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics and Visiting scholar, George Washington University〔英國倫敦經政學院退休教授, 美國華府喬治華盛頓大學訪問學者〕
28. Stephen Yates葉望輝 ﹝ DC Asia諮詢顧問團總裁，前美國副總統國家安全政策顧問﹞
The Honorable Wang Jin-pyng
Speaker of the Legislative Yuan
1 Chung-shan South Rd
TAIPEI,
TAIWAN 10040 May 14th 2010
Dear Mr. Speaker,
As strong supporters of a free and democratic Taiwan, we would like to call your attention to a number of concerns we have regarding the ongoing negotiations between the government of Taiwan and of the People’s Republic of China to arrive at an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
While in principle an economic agreement between the two countries would be laudable, it concerns us that there has been a lack of transparency and legislative checks and balances on the part of the government in Taiwan: Media and civic groups have complained about the secrecy of the negotiations, and the fact that there is no clarity on what the agreement would entail, or what impact it would have on Taiwan’s economy, in particular its agriculture, small and medium-size industries and the labor force.
Furthermore, the Legislative Yuan appears to be sidelined in the decision-making process, which does not bode well for the island’s young democracy. Against this background we urge you to emphasize that you attach great importance to checks and balances in a democratic system. It is also imperative that the Taiwan government seek a democratic consensus on this important decision through a public referendum of all people in Taiwan before the agreement is signed.
Many in Taiwan and abroad are also concerned about the impact of closer economic ties on Taiwan’s de facto independence and sovereignty: they feel that closer economic ties will give the government in Beijing leverage to push Taiwan into further political isolation. This would make it increasingly difficult for the people of Taiwan to maintain their freedom, basic human rights and democracy, and determine their own future. The problem is of course that China unjustifiably claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and doesn’t recognize its right to exist as a free, democratic and independent nation.
If Taiwan increasingly moves into the sphere of influence of a still very undemocratic China, this will have a negative impact on democracy and human rights in Taiwan itself, and on its role as a beacon for democracy in East Asia. We feel that the present approach by the Ma administration is too much predicated on China having a say in how Taiwan relates to the rest of the world. In our view, Taiwan should be accepted in its own right, and be able to sign free trade agreements with other nations without going through China.
We may also refer to recent statements by two of Taiwan’s strongest supporters in the US Congress, who are very critical of the proposed agreement: in a briefing on April 28th 2010, Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) referred to it as a “cage” for Taiwan from where it will be difficult to escape, while Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) referred to it as a “Trojan Horse,” one gift-horse Taiwan should not allow in, because the authorities in Beijing are using it as a political tool with the ultimate goal of absorbing Taiwan.
Mr. Speaker, we hope you will agree with us that maintaining a free and democratic Taiwan is essential, not only for the people in Taiwan themselves, but also for the cause of freedom and democracy in East Asia as a whole. We thus urge you to take a critical look at the proposed Agreement, and ensure that the economic, political and strategic interests of the Taiwanese people are fully safeguarded.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely yours,
1. Ambassador Nat Bellocchi, former Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan
2. Coen Blaauw, Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Washington DC
3. Gordon G. Chang, author, "The Coming Collapse of China"
4. Peter Chow, Professor of Economics, City College of New York
5. Stéphane Corcuff, Associate Professor of Political Science, China and Taiwan Studies, University of Lyon, France
6. Michael Danielsen, Chairman, Taiwan Corner, Copenhagen, Denmark
7. June Teufel Dreyer, Professor of Political Science, University of Miami, Florida
8. Norman W. Getsinger, U.S. Foreign Service (Retired), The George Washington University Graduate Program, Washington DC
9. Terri Giles, Executive Director, Formosa Foundation, Los Angeles
10. Michael Rand Hoare, Emeritus Reader at the University of London, Great Britain
11. Thomas G. Hughes, Former chief of staff to the late Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI), Washington DC
12. Richard C. Kagan, Professor Emeritus of History, Hamline University, St. Paul Minnesota. Author, “Taiwan’s Statesman, Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia”
13. Jerome F. Keating, Associate Professor, National Taipei University (Ret.). Author, "Island in the Stream, a quick case study of Taiwan's complex history" and other works on Taiwan’s history
14. Hon. David Kilgour, former Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific (2002-2003), Canada
15. André Laliberté, Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada
16. Daniel Lynch, Associate Professor, School of International Relations, ¬University of Southern ¬California
17. Victor H. Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania
18. Donald Rodgers, Associate Professor of Political Science, Austin College, Texas
19. Terence C. Russell, Associate Professor of Chinese, Asian Studies Centre, University of Manitoba, Canada
20. Christian Schafferer, Associate Professor, Department of International Trade, Overseas Chinese Institute; Chair Austrian Association of East Asian Studies, Editor Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, Vienna, Austria
21. Michael Stainton, York Center for Asia Research, Toronto, Canada
22. Peter Tague, Professor of Law, Georgetown University, Washington DC
23. John J. Tkacik Jr., former Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and former officer at the Taiwan Coordination Desk, Department of State, Washington DC
24. Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania
25. Vincent Wei-cheng Wang, Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond, Virginia
26. Gerrit van der Wees, Editor Taiwan Communiqué, Washington DC
27. Michael Yahuda, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics, and Visiting Scholar, George Washington University
28. Stephen Yates, President of DC Asia Advisory and former Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs
Speaker of the Legislative Yuan
1 Chung-shan South Rd
TAIPEI,
TAIWAN 10040 May 14th 2010
Dear Mr. Speaker,
As strong supporters of a free and democratic Taiwan, we would like to call your attention to a number of concerns we have regarding the ongoing negotiations between the government of Taiwan and of the People’s Republic of China to arrive at an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
While in principle an economic agreement between the two countries would be laudable, it concerns us that there has been a lack of transparency and legislative checks and balances on the part of the government in Taiwan: Media and civic groups have complained about the secrecy of the negotiations, and the fact that there is no clarity on what the agreement would entail, or what impact it would have on Taiwan’s economy, in particular its agriculture, small and medium-size industries and the labor force.
Furthermore, the Legislative Yuan appears to be sidelined in the decision-making process, which does not bode well for the island’s young democracy. Against this background we urge you to emphasize that you attach great importance to checks and balances in a democratic system. It is also imperative that the Taiwan government seek a democratic consensus on this important decision through a public referendum of all people in Taiwan before the agreement is signed.
Many in Taiwan and abroad are also concerned about the impact of closer economic ties on Taiwan’s de facto independence and sovereignty: they feel that closer economic ties will give the government in Beijing leverage to push Taiwan into further political isolation. This would make it increasingly difficult for the people of Taiwan to maintain their freedom, basic human rights and democracy, and determine their own future. The problem is of course that China unjustifiably claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and doesn’t recognize its right to exist as a free, democratic and independent nation.
If Taiwan increasingly moves into the sphere of influence of a still very undemocratic China, this will have a negative impact on democracy and human rights in Taiwan itself, and on its role as a beacon for democracy in East Asia. We feel that the present approach by the Ma administration is too much predicated on China having a say in how Taiwan relates to the rest of the world. In our view, Taiwan should be accepted in its own right, and be able to sign free trade agreements with other nations without going through China.
We may also refer to recent statements by two of Taiwan’s strongest supporters in the US Congress, who are very critical of the proposed agreement: in a briefing on April 28th 2010, Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ) referred to it as a “cage” for Taiwan from where it will be difficult to escape, while Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) referred to it as a “Trojan Horse,” one gift-horse Taiwan should not allow in, because the authorities in Beijing are using it as a political tool with the ultimate goal of absorbing Taiwan.
Mr. Speaker, we hope you will agree with us that maintaining a free and democratic Taiwan is essential, not only for the people in Taiwan themselves, but also for the cause of freedom and democracy in East Asia as a whole. We thus urge you to take a critical look at the proposed Agreement, and ensure that the economic, political and strategic interests of the Taiwanese people are fully safeguarded.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely yours,
1. Ambassador Nat Bellocchi, former Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan
2. Coen Blaauw, Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Washington DC
3. Gordon G. Chang, author, "The Coming Collapse of China"
4. Peter Chow, Professor of Economics, City College of New York
5. Stéphane Corcuff, Associate Professor of Political Science, China and Taiwan Studies, University of Lyon, France
6. Michael Danielsen, Chairman, Taiwan Corner, Copenhagen, Denmark
7. June Teufel Dreyer, Professor of Political Science, University of Miami, Florida
8. Norman W. Getsinger, U.S. Foreign Service (Retired), The George Washington University Graduate Program, Washington DC
9. Terri Giles, Executive Director, Formosa Foundation, Los Angeles
10. Michael Rand Hoare, Emeritus Reader at the University of London, Great Britain
11. Thomas G. Hughes, Former chief of staff to the late Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI), Washington DC
12. Richard C. Kagan, Professor Emeritus of History, Hamline University, St. Paul Minnesota. Author, “Taiwan’s Statesman, Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia”
13. Jerome F. Keating, Associate Professor, National Taipei University (Ret.). Author, "Island in the Stream, a quick case study of Taiwan's complex history" and other works on Taiwan’s history
14. Hon. David Kilgour, former Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific (2002-2003), Canada
15. André Laliberté, Associate Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada
16. Daniel Lynch, Associate Professor, School of International Relations, ¬University of Southern ¬California
17. Victor H. Mair, Professor of Chinese Language and Literature, University of Pennsylvania
18. Donald Rodgers, Associate Professor of Political Science, Austin College, Texas
19. Terence C. Russell, Associate Professor of Chinese, Asian Studies Centre, University of Manitoba, Canada
20. Christian Schafferer, Associate Professor, Department of International Trade, Overseas Chinese Institute; Chair Austrian Association of East Asian Studies, Editor Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, Vienna, Austria
21. Michael Stainton, York Center for Asia Research, Toronto, Canada
22. Peter Tague, Professor of Law, Georgetown University, Washington DC
23. John J. Tkacik Jr., former Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and former officer at the Taiwan Coordination Desk, Department of State, Washington DC
24. Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania
25. Vincent Wei-cheng Wang, Professor of Political Science, University of Richmond, Virginia
26. Gerrit van der Wees, Editor Taiwan Communiqué, Washington DC
27. Michael Yahuda, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics, and Visiting Scholar, George Washington University
28. Stephen Yates, President of DC Asia Advisory and former Deputy Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Taiwanese-Americans deeply concerned about CNN statements by Taiwan President Ma
The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), a Washington-based grassroots organization representing Taiwanese-Americans, today expressed deep concern about statements made by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou during an interview with CNN on Friday April 30th.
In the interview with Christiane Amanpour, Mr. Ma stated that “… we will never ask the Americans to fight for Taiwan.”
FAPA President Bob Yang said in response: “Of course we are clearly in favor of a peaceful resolution, but that can only be achieved if Taiwan shows the resolve to defend itself. A statement as made by Mr. Ma actually invites aggression from China, which has been threatening Taiwan’s free and democratic existence for many years. It amounts to pre-emptive surrender by the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang government in Taiwan.”
Professor Yang added: “President Ma’s remarks also fly in the face of US commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the United States will maintain the capacity … to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Professor Yang also said that President Ma’s remarks are totally at odds with the basic US policy of strategic ambiguity, which leaves an aggressor like China guessing at the way the US will respond, and is therefore a strong deterrent against provocative action by China. “Mr. Ma’s remarks leave China the impression that this ambiguity is removed, thereby undermining the deterrence provided by the US presence in the region.”
Professor Yang concluded that it would be essential for President Ma to issue a clarification, and make it crystal clear that his government adheres to the basic policies on which the strong relations with the US are based, and refrains from making any moves which undermine Taiwan’s freedom, democracy and independence.
In the interview with Christiane Amanpour, Mr. Ma stated that “… we will never ask the Americans to fight for Taiwan.”
FAPA President Bob Yang said in response: “Of course we are clearly in favor of a peaceful resolution, but that can only be achieved if Taiwan shows the resolve to defend itself. A statement as made by Mr. Ma actually invites aggression from China, which has been threatening Taiwan’s free and democratic existence for many years. It amounts to pre-emptive surrender by the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang government in Taiwan.”
Professor Yang added: “President Ma’s remarks also fly in the face of US commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, which states that the United States will maintain the capacity … to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Professor Yang also said that President Ma’s remarks are totally at odds with the basic US policy of strategic ambiguity, which leaves an aggressor like China guessing at the way the US will respond, and is therefore a strong deterrent against provocative action by China. “Mr. Ma’s remarks leave China the impression that this ambiguity is removed, thereby undermining the deterrence provided by the US presence in the region.”
Professor Yang concluded that it would be essential for President Ma to issue a clarification, and make it crystal clear that his government adheres to the basic policies on which the strong relations with the US are based, and refrains from making any moves which undermine Taiwan’s freedom, democracy and independence.
Monday, May 17, 2010
海外聲援520上街頭要公投靜坐活動
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Friday, May 14, 2010
"Old FAPA staff never really leaves ." - Iris from FAPA HQ
Dear FAPA board members, members and supporters:
Today is my last day at FAPA. After having spent almost a decade here, I have only the best memories of FAPA, not in the least because I gained a husband from it! But more importantly, I am proud of having been a part of FAPA's fight for Taiwan's independence, democracy and international recognition.
I want to thank you all for your utmost support, friendship and encouragement this past decade. Your long-time dedication and unwavering efforts for Taiwan are and will remain a constant inspiration for me.
I am confident to say that I've fought a good fight for Taiwan on Capitol Hill and that I've given my best in every project I was tasked on during my ten-year tenure at FAPA.
Since Coen is still with FAPA, I should be able to stay involved whenever I am needed and available. And if Coen is invited to visit your chapter/area, I'll try my best to join him.
General Douglas McArthur once said, "Old soldiers never die." I'd say "Old FAPA staff never really leaves ."
This is not goodbye, I hope. I wish FAPA the best while embarking on a new sojourn in the next chapter of my life. Until we meet again....
Regards,
Iris Ho
Today is my last day at FAPA. After having spent almost a decade here, I have only the best memories of FAPA, not in the least because I gained a husband from it! But more importantly, I am proud of having been a part of FAPA's fight for Taiwan's independence, democracy and international recognition.
I want to thank you all for your utmost support, friendship and encouragement this past decade. Your long-time dedication and unwavering efforts for Taiwan are and will remain a constant inspiration for me.
I am confident to say that I've fought a good fight for Taiwan on Capitol Hill and that I've given my best in every project I was tasked on during my ten-year tenure at FAPA.
Since Coen is still with FAPA, I should be able to stay involved whenever I am needed and available. And if Coen is invited to visit your chapter/area, I'll try my best to join him.
General Douglas McArthur once said, "Old soldiers never die." I'd say "Old FAPA staff never really leaves ."
This is not goodbye, I hope. I wish FAPA the best while embarking on a new sojourn in the next chapter of my life. Until we meet again....
Regards,
Iris Ho
Thursday, May 13, 2010
US passes resolution on Taiwanese heritage week
US passes resolution on Taiwanese heritage week
ENRICHED FABRIC: The first Taiwan-born member of the US Congress and 26 others sponsored the resolution to commemorate Taiwanese-American week
By William Lowther
TAIPEI TIMES
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Saturday, May 15, 2010, Page 3
The US Congress has adopted a resolution to commemorate Taiwanese-American Heritage Week and recognize the "significant contributions of Taiwanese Americans and the important role they play in strengthening the fabric of United States society."
A resolution was introduced this week by Oregon Democrat David Wu — the first Taiwan-born US member of Congress — and was supported by 26 co-sponsors.
It names a number of prominent Taiwanese-Americans including Lee Yuan-tseh, 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; Min Kao, co-founder and chairman of Garmin Ltd; Vienna Teng, popular musician and songwriter; and Jason Wu , the fashion designer who created first lady Michelle Obama's inaugural gown.
Taiwanese-American Heritage Week was started 11 years ago by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA).
"Taiwanese Americans have greatly enriched the fabric of American society and the mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and Taiwan. I encourage Congress and the American people to absorb the legacy, culture and achievements of the Taiwanese American community," Wu said.
Taiwanese-American Heritage Week is celebrated in mid-May.
When the week was first celebrated in 1999, then-president Bill Clinton said in a letter to FAPA: "Americans of Taiwan descent can be proud of their roots and of their vital role in the continued growth of our nation. This observance offers us an opportunity to learn more about the outstanding contributions that men and women from Taiwan have made to our nation and the world."
FAPA President Bob Yang said this week: "The industriousness, ingenuity and innovation of the people of Taiwan and of Taiwanese Americans have contributed to Taiwan's economic miracle. It has become a classic success story in international economics text books."
"Their quest and aspiration for human rights and freedom led to Taiwan's political miracle. Taiwan's transition to democracy has become a shining example in and for the region," he said.
ENRICHED FABRIC: The first Taiwan-born member of the US Congress and 26 others sponsored the resolution to commemorate Taiwanese-American week
By William Lowther
TAIPEI TIMES
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Saturday, May 15, 2010, Page 3
The US Congress has adopted a resolution to commemorate Taiwanese-American Heritage Week and recognize the "significant contributions of Taiwanese Americans and the important role they play in strengthening the fabric of United States society."
A resolution was introduced this week by Oregon Democrat David Wu — the first Taiwan-born US member of Congress — and was supported by 26 co-sponsors.
It names a number of prominent Taiwanese-Americans including Lee Yuan-tseh, 1986 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; Min Kao, co-founder and chairman of Garmin Ltd; Vienna Teng, popular musician and songwriter; and Jason Wu , the fashion designer who created first lady Michelle Obama's inaugural gown.
Taiwanese-American Heritage Week was started 11 years ago by the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA).
"Taiwanese Americans have greatly enriched the fabric of American society and the mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and Taiwan. I encourage Congress and the American people to absorb the legacy, culture and achievements of the Taiwanese American community," Wu said.
Taiwanese-American Heritage Week is celebrated in mid-May.
When the week was first celebrated in 1999, then-president Bill Clinton said in a letter to FAPA: "Americans of Taiwan descent can be proud of their roots and of their vital role in the continued growth of our nation. This observance offers us an opportunity to learn more about the outstanding contributions that men and women from Taiwan have made to our nation and the world."
FAPA President Bob Yang said this week: "The industriousness, ingenuity and innovation of the people of Taiwan and of Taiwanese Americans have contributed to Taiwan's economic miracle. It has become a classic success story in international economics text books."
"Their quest and aspiration for human rights and freedom led to Taiwan's political miracle. Taiwan's transition to democracy has become a shining example in and for the region," he said.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
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