N Korea to show military might on its national day

AP , SEOUL

North Korea has developed a long-range missile capable of targeting all of Japan and the US territory of Guam, a South Korean newspaper reported yesterday on the eve of the communist state's 55th anniversary that will be marked with a lavish military parade.

South Korea's Defense Minis-try, however, said it could not confirm the report in Chosun Ilbo, one of South Korea's leading newspapers.

The report comes amid speculation that North Korea could carry out a nuclear test today, the anniversary of the formation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the country is known officially.

Yesterday, South Korean Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan warned that aggravating actions by North Korea would effect further talks on its suspected development of nuclear weapons.

Yoon, who met US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell last week, said Washington expressed concerns that North Korea might take threatening actions today.

The "secretary of state believes that taking measures that worsen the situation are not only non-beneficial to North Korea, but also will not help to resolve the [nuclear] issue peacefully," Yoon told reporters. "I also hope that such an incident does not take place."

Chosun Ilbo quoted an unidentified government official as saying that the ballistic missile -- with a range of 3,000km to 4,000km -- was developed last year but has not yet been deployed.

The missile's range makes it more powerful than the 2,500km range Taepodong-1 missile, which can target all but the most far-flung of Japan's islands.

North Korea test-fired a Taepodong-1 missile in 1998 over Japan's main islands into the Pacific Ocean. The North also is believed to have an arsenal of up to 700 Rodong missiles that can hit targets as far as 1,300km away.

North Korea admitted running a secret nuclear weapons program last year, according to US officials, who believe it may already possess one or two nuclear bombs and could produce more.

During last month's six-nation meeting in Beijing on the North's nuclear activities, North Korean delegate Kim Yong-il warned that his country could test a nuclear weapon and even prove that it had the means to deliver nuclear bombs.

North Korea has been demanding a non-aggression treaty from the US before it dismantles its nuclear program. Washington has rejected the idea of a treaty, but Yoon said the Bush administration is "actively thinking" about addressing North Korea's security concerns.

"I believe they will take their proposals to the second round of six-nation talks," he said.

North Korea relies on its military might as one of its few means of political leverage. The North's 1.2 million-strong military, the world's fifth largest, is the backbone of the country's communist rule.

Today, some 20,000 troops, 150 tanks and other military vehicles are expected to be paraded through the reclusive nation's capital, Pyongyang. Some 50,000 participants including the country's leader Kim Jong-il will attend.

South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo, another leading newspaper, said the parade is likely to feature the Rodong missile.

Beijing promises to battle against Falun Gong `until the end'

AP , BEIJING

The very "prosperity and stability" of modern China is at stake in the battle against the banned Falun Gong, the Chinese government is warning as it promises to renew the fight.

In a lengthy commentary carried on the official Xinhua News Agency, authorities called for a "fight until the end" against Falun Gong, which has repeatedly angered the government in recent months by hacking into Chinese television satellite signals and broadcasting its own messages.

"We should be fully aware that the fight will be long, arduous and complicated, and therefore, we must be vigilant against the Falun Gong cult and should in no way relax our efforts," it said.

It also accused Falun Gong practitioners overseas of impeding China's fight against SARS by "instigating followers at home to block the epidemic prevention" -- a charge the movement denies. Xinhua did not elaborate.

There was no indication why the Chinese government chose yesterday to distribute the commentary. But Levi Browde, a New York-based Falun Gong spokesman, suggested it was linked to recent lawsuits filed in several countries against former president Jiang Zemin and other top Chinese leaders.

"The purpose of this latest propaganda is to try to thwart some of the reality of what's happening in the world's courtrooms," Browde said in a telephone interview.

"In every single one of these court cases around the world, not once have they come through to defend themselves against the accusations," he said. "All they do is come forward and spew this kind of stuff."

The government banned Falun Gong in 1999, calling it an "evil cult." It has since arrested hundreds if not thousands of followers, and practitioners allege many have been tortured and in some cases murdered. The government denies killing anyone, but says some detainees have died from hunger strikes or refusing medical attention.

Xinhua said the fight against the movement is imperative "in order to ensure the prosperity and stability of the nation as well as the safe and comfortable lives of the public."

"More and more people have come to see through the anti-scientific, anti-human and anti-social nature of the cult and have devoted themselves to the struggle," Xinhua said. "Meanwhile, most of the former Falun Gong followers have shaken off the cult's spiritual control through re-education and have resumed normal life."

On several occasions, most recently last month, the government says Falun Gong interfered with TV signals transmitted via China's Sinosat communications satellite.

It says followers interrupted programming on China Central Television, China Educational Television and 10 provincial-level TV stations.

The Falun Gong movement has attracted millions of followers with a mix of traditional Chinese calisthenics and doctrines drawn from Buddhism, Taoism and the ideas of its founder, Li Hongzhi, a former government clerk.

Taiwan at a crossroads

Taipei's streets rang with political slogans last weekend, as pro-independence and pro-unification forces staged demonstrations to trumpet their demands. If these rival rallies were considered a measure of "people voting with their feet," then the will of the majority was crystal clear.

The "Call Taiwan Taiwan" march on Saturday attracted an estimated 150,000 people, while fewer than 10,000 participated in the "Defend the Republic of China" march on Sunday. The pro-independence forces have broken through the psychological barriers that has kept this nation tied to China for so long and bravely stepped forward to express their political stance. With their action, the marchers proved that "the people have the right to take political stances." This is another milestone in the development of the nation's democracy.

Under the Chiang family's authoritarian system, the people were unable to speak about or take action to realize the concept of Taiwan as a sovereign country. People who called for Taiwan's independence were labeled as accomplices of the "Communist bandits." During the 228 Incident, the White Terror period and the Kaohsiung Incident, many people were jailed or even killed for advocating independence. Following Taiwan's democratization, the National Security Law still prohibited "separatism" and communism. The ban is still in effect, which is a legal constraint to independence.

After Taiwan moved toward democracy and a more open society, independence advocates were no longer subject to arrest or imprisonment. But Taiwan's independence still faces international diplomatic hurdles. These include national security considerations -- China's threat to attack if Taiwan declares independence -- and the fact that the US does not support the idea because declaring independence would destroy the basis of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Given these internal and external constraints, even former president Lee Teng-hui had to curb his personal beliefs during his 12 years in power. His appearance at Saturday's march marked the breaking of his own constraints as well as the people's psychological barriers against independence. The independence platform has now been put out in public for the people to decide upon.

For more than 50 years people in Taiwan had to shout "fight [our way] back to the mainland; unify China." But support for unification has been shrinking gradually. This is due as much to the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) inability to realize its own slogans as to the Beijing government's inability to convince the people of Taiwan that it will respect their democracy, human rights and the rule of law. On top of this came China's heavy-handed suppression of Taiwan on all fronts. This includes blocking international aid to Taiwan during the SARS epidemic, blocking Taiwan's entry into the World Health Organization and attempting to change Taiwan's name at the WTO. The uproar over Article 23 legislation in Hong Kong has also contributed to Taiwan's gradual distancing from China.

The unification camp is not only shrinking but also bitterly divided. Even though the two demonstrations on Sunday were both aimed at defending the Republic of China, the extreme pro-unification stance of the Chinese Unification Alliance, which organized the afternoon march, appealed only to a very small minority. The organizers of the morning rally -- including the Republic of China Association of Professors -- kept a distance from the alliance. The two separate demonstrations show that both the KMT and the People First Party still have fears about unification even though they advocate "one China."

Taiwan is at a crossroads. No one knows whether the country will opt for unification or independence in the future, but the opinions have now been put on the market. Let the people decide.

Chen should consolidate democracy

By Liao Yung-lai

In 2000, Taiwan experienced its first-ever transfer of power in its democratic history. By using sonorous slogans, Chinese National-ist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong hope to create a second transfer of power next year. According to the pan-blue camp, the first party rotation took place because of the KMT-PFP split that divided the votes between Lien and Soong, and former president Lee Teng-hui's secret support for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-bian.

Now, the KMT and PFP will do their utmost to work together and concentrate votes. This time, they believe they will take back the power they lost. The two parties, as well as Lien and Soong, appeal to the voters by attacking the unsatisfactory record of Chen's government, economic decline, a high unemployment rate and people's hardship. By making the second transfer of power come true, Lien and Soong will help people be happy again.

Of course, the DPP is appre-hensive about the possible success of the KMT-PFP appeal. When he visited Taipei County to secure votes at the grass-roots level, Chen particularly praised the performance of Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang. By praising Su's achievements, Chen showed that many development plans appreciated by the people could only be com-pleted in two terms of office.

Chen said in his appeal to the voters that he would present more administrative achievements and development plans in his second term if he gets re-elected.

In fact, Chen's appeal is modest and conservative. It is natural for political figures to plead for votes by presenting their administrative achievements.

However, Taiwan has a peculiar historical background. After it retreated to Taiwan in 1949, the KMT government brutally put down opposition forces. The 228 Incident also created a sense of fear in the population under the KMT government. Consequently, the terror of assassinations and confinement emerged in an endless stream in the 1950s.

Shortly before former president Chiang Ching-kuo's death, the KMT government reluctantly lifted martial law and put half-baked democracy into practice. Lee succeeded to the presidency and remained in office for 12 years. Lee was directly elected by popular vote for his last four-year term.

When the National Assembly was discussing the format of the presidential election at that time, some political figures, including Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, advocated an indirect presidential election. A direct presidential election was a milestone for the nation's democracy. The path to democracy was nevertheless difficult for Taiwan. Some people would try to eliminate the difficulties, while some others would repeatedly block the efforts.

History should restore truth and leave a record in order to provide a clear explanation for future generations.

What is peculiar is that both camps ignore the issue of national identity. The KMT and PFP think that Taiwan has no problem with national identity. In other words, Taiwan is not a "country." The so-called "country" is shared with the PRC across the Taiwan Strait, under the same roof. In the DPP, some people have advocated that the party should temporarily avoid discussing national identity in order to attract middle-of-the-road voters.

We can see that the two groups of future candidates have turned into two different groups of political leaders because of the problem of national identity. They have used their personal backgrounds to manipulate the voters.

Chen receives the majority of support south of the Choshui River, in central Taiwan, while Lien and Soong have more supporters north of the river. Chen is preferred by the majority of Hoklo people, while Lien and Soong have more support from Hakkas, mainlanders and Aborigines.

No single group of political leaders, with their distinct position, is able to attract all the voters. As a result, whether Chen will get re-elected will depend on whether national identity can be clearly determined. If Lien and Soong win the election, Taiwan will lean toward China. If Chen is re-elected, the consolidation of Taiwan's sovereignty will be even more conclusive.

Besides national identity, the democratization of public policies has also gained importance in this election. Taiwan lacks the kind of mutual respect normal democracies have. It is not easy to have unity without respect. Without unity, it is impossible to create common sentiments, not to mention unanimous public opinion.

Under such circumstances, Chen should make a bold move to present the idea of democratic consolidation in order to challenge the opposing camp's argument of a second transfer of power. It is only when Chen gets re-elected that Taiwan's democracy will become consolidated.

If Lien and Soong win the election, it will mean the collapse of Taiwan's democracy.

Liao Yung-lai is the executive director of Central Taiwan Joint Services Center of the Executive Yuan.

Name-rectification protests fail to influence Cabinet

By Ko Shu-ling

STAFF REPORTER

The Executive Yuan has no plans to pressure government agencies to remove "China" from their official names and replace the word with "Taiwan," Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung said yesterday.

Lin said the Cabinet will respect whatever decision individual government agencies make with respect to their names.

Lin's announcement comes following a massive march on Saturday by pro-independence forces calling on the country to change its official name from "Republic of China" (ROC) to "Taiwan."

The demonstration was followed by a smaller pro-China march on Sunday demanding the government keep the ROC label.

"Our stance is clear -- we won't encourage nor ask government agencies, state-run enterprises or public foundations to modify or rectify their names," Lin said. "Instead, we'll respect their decision if they think such a move is deemed necessary and practical."

Government agencies using "China" in their names include the Central Bank of China, Central Trust of China and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission.

In other Cabinet-related news, two evaluation reports will determine whether Taichung City gets an addition NT$2 billion from the central government for its planned NT$6.4 billion branch of the Guggenheim Museum.

"It's not true that we broke our promise on the project, because we're still studying its feasibility," Lin said yesterday.

Premier Yu Shyi-kun on Aug. 18 agreed to grant Taichung NT$3.2 billion toward its planned establishment of the museum and said he would decide within three weeks whether to grant the city another NT$2 billion. Yesterday was the three-week deadline.

Lin said yesterday that the city will get the NT$3.2 billion it has requested because it's a promise made by the premier.

"However, whether it'll get the additional NT$2 billion depends on the evaluation reports conducted by the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation and the Cabinet's Council for Cultural Affairs," Lin said.

According to Lin, the foundation has entrusted McKinsey & Company to study the feasibility of the museum.

If approved, Taichung will become the first city in the Asia-Pacific region to have a Guggenheim branch. The Guggenheim has branches in Venice, Berlin, Bilbao, Las Vegas and New York.

Although the city has received a copy of the report, Lin said, it has not yet made it available to the Council for Cultural Affairs.

While the council yesterday presented the premier with a separate evaluation report conducted on its own, Lin said, it fails to reach a definite conclusion.

"It states the divided opinions voiced by experts and academics. It also requests the city provide more information for its reference," Lin said.

Lin added that Yu hopes to reach the final decision on the matter as soon as possible because the government intends to include the NT$6.4 billion project in the Cabinet's five-year, NT$500 billion public-construction project.