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Updated Wednesday, March 19, 2008 0:00 am TWN, By David Young, The China Post



	Dressed as a farmer, opposition presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou pulls an “ox cart” at a campaign rally in Hsinchu. Ma said he would not rule out the possibility of boycotting the Beijing Olympics in August. (CNA) More Photos (2)

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Candidates condemn suppression in Tibet

He said Ma has to accept Beijing's "one China" principle in order to create the common market.

Wen Jiabao, Chinese premier, laid down that principle as the sine qua non for dialogue between Taipei and Beijing yesterday morning, while charging the Dalai Lama with instigating riots in Lhasa.

Should the one China principle be accepted, Hsieh claimed, Ma, who supports "an eventual unification with China" and wants to "create the one China common market," would be selling out Taiwan.

"Then," Hsieh said, "there would be no difference between Taiwan and Tibet."

Chastising Wen for restricting dialogue to prevent people on both sides of the Strait from jointly determining the future of Taiwan, Ma said he is lodging his "gravest protests" against the Chinese Communists.

"What Wen said shows arrogance, totalling ignoring the will of the 23 million people of Taiwan," Ma pointed out. He declared the people of Taiwan alone determine their future.

The Republic of China is an independent, sovereign state, Ma said. "The future of Taiwan should be determined by its people," he stressed.

"If China continues to suppress the people of Tibet and the situation in Tibet worsens," Ma continued, "I will not rule out the possibility of stopping our delegation from taking part in the Beijing Olympics in August, if I am elected president of the Republic of China."

Hsieh said the threat for a boycott was made "too early."

Asked to comment on the boycott threat while barnstorming in Taichung County, Hsieh said "a national leader should have a long-range plan."

He said he could not understand why Ma would make the threat so quickly. By making the threat, he added, Ma "is depriving our athletes of their right to participate."

"The Kuomintang candidate said (those threatening words) too early," Hsieh accused.

Hsieh then called on Ma to give up his "eventual unification" position.

"At this critical juncture," Hsieh said, "the Kuomintang candidate should declare that he renounces an eventual unification with China and his proposal to form a one China common market."

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