He took the lead by making a personal donation of NT$200,000 and called for the launch of humanitarian charter flights to transport Taiwan’s relief goods to the disaster area.

When donating the money from his own pocket at the Red Cross Society (RCS) of the Republic of China, he encouraged the people in Taiwan to donate both money and relief goods to the people in need.

Ma urged the government and civil groups to offer the relevant assistance needed in China in relief resources and rescue missions.

The existing humanitarian charter flight service across the Taiwan Strait, which has heretofore been used to transport Taiwanese patients directly back for emergency medical treatment here, is a ready channel and it should be kicked into action to take rescue and medical teams as well as relief goods to China, Ma said.

Despite the disruption of the transport system at the disaster area, Ma said the relief goods can be gathered at designated centers near the devastated districts.

Ma has contacted Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin to send the well trained rescue and medical team to China.

He said many charity and religious organizations in Taiwan, including the Red Cross, World Vision Taiwan,

Fo Guang Shan, the Tzu Chi Foundation, Dharma Drum Mountain, and Ling Jiou Mountain, have also mobilized their volunteers to pitch in all support efforts.

He appealed to the government to help coordinate the efforts of diverse groups for the maximum effect.

Outgoing President Chen Shui-bian and Premier Chang Chun-hsiung offered their condolences to the families of the more than 10,000 victims of the disaster, the worst earthquake to hit China in three decades.

“Taiwan is willing to cooperate with the international community to participate in disaster relief and reconstruction work,” Chen said in a statement.

Chang said Taiwan was prepared to send rescue teams and provide humanitarian aid to China.

The premier said the government is also concerned about the fate of Taiwan’s businessmen, students and tourists in China, and called on Chinese authorities to help protect Taiwanese citizens and offer them any necessary assistance.

Chang said that he has instructed the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) to coordinate all relevant matters and has asked the semiofficial Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to contact its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), and take charge of all relief operations.

Reciprocal support

Chen Charng-ven, president of the RCS in Taiwan, said his organization has contacted its Red Cross counterpart in China after the earthquake occurred to learn about the disaster situation and offer aid.

The RCS itself donated US$300,000 to its Chinese counterpart to be used in the rescue mission, Chen said.

He called on the public to back the reciprocal supporting effort and contribute relief materials including sleeping bags, blankets, and tents to help China’s people in disaster areas.

Chen reminded the Taiwanese public that China’s people donated over US$3 million to Taiwan through the RCS to help Taiwanese cope with the deadly 921 earthquake that struck central Taiwan in 1999.

The latest quake in Sichuan is also five times stronger than the 921 earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.3, in terms of the amount of energy released.

Chen said a growing number of companies, including the Ruentex Group, have donated money designated for the relief effort.

China Airlines has offered to send a charter plane without charge to transport the rescue teams and relief goods.

Business and industry leaders have pledged to pay the costs for more charter flights in the humanitarian mission, Chen said.

Gratitude

Su Juxiang, vice president of China’s Red Cross organization, said the Sichuan Airport was closed and the province’s outbound land traffic was also blocked as a result of the earthquake, according to Chen.

Su expressed deep gratitude to Taiwan for its concern and offer of help, but said Taiwan’s aid will have to wait until traffic in disaster areas has improved, Chen said.

The RCS in Taiwan has also formed a 60-member rescue team which is ready and on standby to start assisting in rescue operations at any time, Chen said.

Once traffic in Sichuan starts to show improvement, the relief supplies will be immediately delivered to disaster areas, Chen said.

Charity groups

Leading charity groups in Taiwan launched relief actions within 24 hours of China being hit by the devastating earthquake.

The Fo Guang Shan Buddhism Foundation donated NT$10 million in fund while starting to gather contributions of relief goods.

Although both the Buddhist Ling Jiou Mountain and the Buddhist Compassionate Relief Tzu Chi Foundation are still busy with their assistance work in Myanmar to help with victims of Cyclone Nargis that just devastated the southern part of the country, they have also mobilized supporters for the new task in Sichuan.

Her Rey-sheng of the Tzu Chi Foundation said the first group of the foundation’s volunteers from Guangdong, Beijing, Fujian and Shanghai will reach the disaster area in Sichuan Province today, bringing with them relief goods such as blankets.

“We are now arranging with China Airlines to send 30,000-42,000 blankets from Taiwan by tomorrow, as soon as room is made for the relief goods,” he added.

Ling Jiou Mountain spokeswoman Wu Wen-li noted that a special account has been set up to raise funds for the quake victims in Sichuan.

She noted that Dharma Master Hsin Tao, along with 100 monks from the Ling Jiou Mountain, held a prayer session that mourning for those suffering in the disaster areas.

Making donations

The Taiwan businesspeople organization based in Shanghai donated 5 million Chinese yuan for the relief campaign in China.

In Taiwan, Taichung and Nantou county governments in the central part of the island have launched fund-raising campaign because they want to help the quake victims after people in China gave them a helping hand in 1999.

All government employees will donate one day’s salary.

The Red Cross organization accepts financial contributions through postal remittance number 0504-6467.

Those making donations with credit cards may download the forms from the group’s Web Site www.redcross.org.tw and fax the signed form to (02) 2363-5154 or (02) 2363-9646.

The Web site also provides details of the fundraising drive.

World Vision Taiwan accepts donations at postal remittance number 1575-2467.

Dharma Drum Mountain Foundation’s relief fund account is postal remittance number 1957-7467.

A group of singers and entertainers will produce a special song to express love and support for the quake victims.

They urged people here to make contributions to the accounts opened by various charity organizations.