Tycoon’s call for peace law hurts Taiwan’s identity: MAC

Chen made the remarks after Robert Tsao, honorary chairman of United Microtelectornics Corp., ran a front-page advertisement in major local newspapers pushing for ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential candidate Frank Hsieh and his rival Ma Ying-jeou of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) to jointly promote drafting the law, which Tsao claimed would provide a legal basis for maintaining freedom and democracy in Taiwan.

The proposed law should contain several salient points, including one ensuring that no referendum will be held on independence because that would be contrary to the nation’s claim that it is already an independent and sovereign state, Tsao said in the ad.

He also suggested that Taiwan never take the initiative to hold a referendum on unification so as to avoid polarizing the people on the island.

Commenting on Tsao’s suggestion, Chen said at a seminar sponsored by the Taiwan Think Tank that it is indeed unthinkable that Taiwan pass a law to enable China to launch an initiative on a “unification referendum.”

Chen regretted that the proposed legislation downgrades Taiwan’s status from that of a sovereign state to a “highly autonomous region” of China, like Hong Kong or Macau, stressing that such a law not only violates the Constitution but effectively acts as a “suicide law” altering the nation’s republican system.

Noting that the proposed peace law echoes the Anti-Secession Law enacted by Beijing in March 2005, Chen said the “unification referendum” as proposed by the tycoon is tantamount to a tailor-made referendum on China’s Anti-Secession Law and cannot address the Taiwanese people’s doubts.

Chen also stressed that the Republic of China is a sovereign state and currently equals Taiwan, which he said is “de facto” and “de jure” independent of the People’s Republic of China. He added that it is an undeniable fact that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are separate states.

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