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Mass rallies held in Kaohsiung, Taichung

KAOHSIUNG/TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- Opposing political camps yesterday held massive rallies separately in central and southern Taiwan to promote their own campaigns for the nation to gain a seat in the United Nations.

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party claimed that its rally in Kaohsiung drawing massive numbers of people in support of its call to have the nation seek U.N. membership under the name “Taiwan.”

In Taichung, a Kuomintang march led by Presidential Candidate Ma Ying-jeou led teeming crowds of supporters in a march to drive home the message that the country should apply to return to the U.N., from which the Republic of China was ousted in 1971.

“Taiwan go, go, go,” chanted DPP supporters as they marched down the streets in the southern city.

“Taiwan Republic,” and “Taiwan for U.N., China shut up” — read some of the placards they displayed.

President Chen Shui-bian, in a white T-shirt printed with the slogan “UN for Taiwan,” and his family — including his son-in-law Chao Chien-ming, who has been found guilty of corruption by a district court — all attended the Kaohsiung rally.

“The biggest thing is for the United Nations and the United States to notice that this U.N. effort is not just something Chen Shui-bian is doing,” a Kaohsiung demonstrator from the nearby city of Tainan told Reuters.

Earlier, Chen reiterated that the planned referendum on applying to join the U.N. under the name Taiwan does not involve changing the country’s official title or violate his “four noes” pledges to the United States. Describing the United States as Taiwan’s best friend and most loyal ally, Chen rejected speculations that the referendum will be an “anti-America” vote.

He also dismissed as “groundless” U.S. concerns that the vote was intended to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and could increase tension in the region.

DPP Presidential Candidate Frank Hsieh, donning a T-shirt with the words, “I love Taiwan,” said Taiwan is a sovereign country, and the KMT campaign for the ROC’s return to the UN will never succeed.

DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said during the rally that it would be impossible for the ROC to return to the U.N. because it would pose a challenge to the legitimacy of China’s membership.

“We know it’s going to be a long fight, we have no illusions about that,” Yu was cited by Bloomberg as saying. “The point of this demonstration is that we want our voice to be heard.”

While the DPP is aiming at a break with the Chinese legacy that both Beijing and Washington see as an attempt at the island’s formal independence, the KMT stresses continuity that keeps the nation’s political and historical links with China,

In Taichung, Ma and KMT supporters waved national flags as they paraded through the streets.

Ma and many of the participants were wearing blue and white plastic sandals — one of the most common and cheapest types of indoor footwear in Taiwan — to symbolize their love of the island.

“The KMT’s return to the UN campaign is moderate, efficient, flexible, and dignified. People should be able to accept it,” said Ma.

Earlier in Kaohsiung, before heading to the Taichung rally, Ma stressed that the ROC is a sovereign country.

Delivering a speech at a college in the southern city, Ma said many countries refuse to recognize the ROC because of pressure from China.

He insisted that the existence of a country is based on its people, land and sovereignty, and recognition by others does not play a part.

But he noted that 24 of the world’s 194 countries recognize ROC.

“The U.N. bid, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with getting into the U.N.,” Ralph Cossa, president of the U.S.-based think tank Pacific Forum CSIS, told Reuters.

“I think it is mostly tied into the Taiwan identity issue and the DPP’s efforts to lock future administrations into this mindset.”

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