Ma blasts Chen over United Nations referendum for ‘troubles’

He also criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for recklessly turning diplomacy into a political game that sacrifices the national interests.

Ma, who formerly served as Taipei mayor and Kuomintang (KMT) chairman, elaborated on the major differences between the referendum plans of the KMT and the DPP when answering questions from reporters in southern Pingtung.

He pointed out that the differences do not lie in the verbatim, on the surface.

One of the biggest differences is that the KMT referendum seeks “to maintain the status quo of the Republic of China” while also seeking to regain U.N. membership.

As a primary founding member of the U.N., the ROC should be allowed to return to the world organization, he said.

He explained the KMT is seeking to achieve the goal under the premises of resoluteness, pragmatism, dignity, and flexibility.

The KMT has been working on the project for many years since 1994, because returning to the U.N. and other international organizations is a common wish of the great majority of the people in Taiwan, he added.

But the referendum proposed by President Chen to join the United Nations under the name of Taiwan is to “destroy the status quo of the Republic of China” by “establishing a new and independent nation.”

This means that Chen has treaded on the red line drawn by the U.S., a move that will escalate tensions in the region, while the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula have been listed as two major powder kegs in Asia, Ma said.

This is why senior American officials, including Thomas Christensen, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, who have successively used harsh words to criticize Chen’s proposed referendum to join the U.N. under the name of Taiwan, he explained.

Even American officials have seen through the DPP’s ulterior motive of attempting to use the U.N. referendum as a vote-getting scheme in upcoming elections, Ma said.

For these reasons, Washington has repeatedly criticized the DPP plan, but did not express its opposition or criticism to the KMT plan, he added.

Ma rebuked the misconception that places the KMT plan and Chen’s proposal on an equal playing field, because it is not correct to compare apples with oranges.

It is immoral to manipulate domestic affairs in the field of international affairs while sacrificing diplomacy with political games, he said.

Yang Du, a KMT spokesman, repeated the statement made by party Secretary-General Wu Den-yih that the KMT is willing to considering withdrawing its U.N. referendum plan if Chen and the DPP decide to scrap its referendum plan.

He explained that the KMT was forced to prepare a counter referendum plan and a “safety valve” against the DPP referendum proposal.

Yang described the DPP as a major troublemaker pushing for a dangerous and adventurous political game.

The dangers will not disappear and the American attitude will not change if the problems with the troublemaker are not solved, he said.

Lai Shu-ju, a KMT spokeswoman, emphasized that the mass rally to be held in central Taichung tomorrow is a move countering the march organized by the DPP in Kaohsiung.

But the gathering will also highlight the need to channel national resources on issues that directly affect people’s daily livelihood, because this is what concerns people most, she said.

She suggested that all people, regardless their political affiliation, wear the low-cost plastic white-blue slippers to join the march calling for a better life and eliminating rampant corruption and cheating prevailing in Taiwan society.

Wearing the white-blue slippers, which cost around NT$50 a pair, instead of the fancy and pricy shoes, symbolizes the diligent, frugal, solid, and down-to-earth life philosophy that was once embraced by the hard-working people in Taiwan, Lai said.

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