Taiwan vows to continue U.N. bid efforts: MOFA

“It was not a surprise that our effort was blocked again, but we have successfully highlighted the issue in the international community,” said MOFA spokesman David Wang.

Wang condemned Srgjan Kerim, president of the 62nd session of the General Assembly, of violating rules of procedure of the assembly for refusing to allow full discussion of the issue at the General Committee before ruling not to put it on the agenda.

Wang thanked Taiwan’s diplomatic allies which spoke up for the country at the committee’s meeting Wednesday to set the agenda of the session that opened a day earlier at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The motion was endorsed by 16 of Taiwan’s allies and requested that the Security Council process Taiwan’s membership application according to rules of procedure of the council and the U.N. Charter. It was proposed as a supplementary item on the agenda.

During the General Committee meeting, Kerim suggested that a two-on-two debate be held on the proposal, which met immediate objections from Taiwan’s allies, including Palau, Gambia and Honduras, which insisted that the proposal be opened to discussion by all committee members, according to Wang.

In a counter move, China had its allies speak in support of a two-on-two debate, and the situation prompted Kerim to call a vote to resolve the dispute.

While the vote turned out 24-3 in favor of a two-on-two debate, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the Solomon Islands took part in the debate in support of Taiwan, against China and Egypt.

At the end of the debate, Kerim ruled that the motion on Taiwan’s membership application should not be included on the agenda, on the grounds that the committee had not reached a consensus on the matter.

Accordingly, Wang said the government will continue to promote the bid, adding that the country’s allies are expected to raise the issue again during the plenary meetings.

“China is bullying us with all its might. We knew it was a highly difficult task and we will continue our efforts in the years to come,” said Wang who refused however to comment on Washington’s decision to support the two-on-two debate proposed by China.

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers also lashed out at the U.N. decision not to admit Taiwan to the world body for “losing its sense of justice and failing to safeguard human rights, freedom and democracy.”

Meanwhile, Minister Shieh Jhy-wei of the Government Information Office said yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian would take part in a round-the-island torch relay planned on Oct. 24 by the Executive Yuan to promote Taiwan’s bid for U.N. membership.

Shieh said that the torch relay would be part of a series of activities for Taiwan’s U.N. bid to highlight Taiwan people’s will to join the world body.

He said that the Ministry of the Interior is also planning to designate Oct. 24 — the day when the U.N. Charter came into force in 1945 — as “Taiwan’s United Nations Day,” although no national holiday will be granted to the population.

The Oct. 24, torch relay, to be held in a festive or carnival style, may start from central, southern or northern Taiwan, Shieh said.

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