Issues relating to referendum debated with US

NOT `DEFENSIVE': Issues that might be posed in President Chen's `preventive referendum' are being discussed to ease possible US concerns

BY Melody Chen

STAFF REPORTER

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 3

Taiwan and the US have been communicating on issues that might be put to the "preventive referendum" that President Chen Shui-bian has proposed holding along with next year's presidential election, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien said yesterday.

The Presidential Office has replaced the word "defensive" with "preventive" when it refers to the type of referendum that Article 17 of the new Referendum Law allows the president to call in certain circumstances.

At a tea party in honor of people who volunteer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Chien said the US and Taiwan have been negotiating on the issues, but he declined to reveal what the issues are. Chen is scheduled to announce the issues tomorrow.

In a gesture seen as designed to ease US concerns about the referendum agenda and end media speculation over changes in Taiwan-US relations, Chen on Thursday told visiting US Senator Jeff Bingaman that the defensive referendum has nothing to do with Taiwan's independence.

Chien, who is heading a task force that will monitor Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Washington next week, said the MOFA has been reviewing relations among China, Taiwan and the US.

"The US policy toward Taiwan has not changed. The US will hold to its one-China policy and the Three Communiques. It hopes the cross-strait problem can be solved through peace talks," Chien said.

Responding to concerns about whether the US might shift its Taiwan policy as a consequence of Wen's Washington visit, Chien emphasized the US and Taiwan will "share information."

Chen said that Taiwan cannot participate in the US administration's process of setting Taiwan policy prior to Wen's visit, but the US will share information with Taiwan before and after Wen's trip, Chien said.

Stressing that the ministry has a full understanding of the development of Taiwan-US relations, Chien said the top issues in the US-China talks during Wen's visit will be trade, North Korea, antiterrorism and Taiwan.

"The US and China's focus during the talks will be not be totally the same," Chien said.

As for the recent US remarks on Taiwan's referendum law, Chien said the frequent US comments on the issue are "a normal thing" and described Taiwan-US ties as "stable."

The frequency of US comments on the Taiwan issue is related to Wen's US trip and Taiwan's presidential election, Chien said.

Asked why Wen decided not to bring to Washington any officials from the military, or the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) under China's State Council, Chien said the ministry will explain this after Wen's visit.

Meanwhile, Chen Ming-tong, vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, said the council has "no comment" on the absence of military and TAO officials in Wen's entourage.

Chen Ming-tong repeated the council's call for China to understand that the establishment of the referendum mechanism is a necessary step for Taiwan to deepen its democracy.

The Chinese authorities have made "sharp noises" on the referendum issue because of its misunderstanding or even distortion of Taiwan's efforts toward sounder democracy, said Chen Ming-tong.

"Taiwan's cross-strait policy has not changed," Chen Ming-tong said.

DPP top brass urge nuclear poll

By Cody Yiu

STAFF REPORTER

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 4

As part of a campaign for a nuclear-free country, three Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweights handed out leaflets to commuters at a Taipei County MRT station yesterday.

Former DPP chairman Lin Yi-hsiung, Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang and DPP legislator Yu Ching urged commuters at Hsinpu MRT station to use a referendum to stop the plant from going ahead.

"The decision [on] the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant should be made by all citizens in a referendum ... We want the public to be able to exercise their right to voice opinion on major administrative issues," Lin said.

The Association for the Promotion of Referendums for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant stationed volunteers at 11 MRT stations in Taipei County yesterday to hand out 100,000 leaflets attacking the nuclear power plant.

Lin said he would pay a visit to the headquarters of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Dec. 12 to lobby for changes to the law.

"I hope the KMT will correct the flaws in the referendum bill passed by the Legislative Yuan on Nov. 27. If it can do this, the public will be able to exercise their basic human right of casting votes in a referendum," he said.

We see no integrity; but is the problem us?

By Hsu Yung-ming

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 8

A survey of parents' and teachers' views on the character of politicians was recently conducted by Commonwealth magazine. The results show that, except for Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, no one now active on the political stage has made a good impression on the public. In particular, those in power now, or in power in the recent past -- such as President Chen Shui-bian, Vice President Annette Lu and former president Lee Teng-hui -- trail in the rankings.

In contrast, former president Chiang Ching-kuo and former premier Sun Yun-suan, who have left the political stage, topped the list, highlighting a nostalgic atmosphere.

But the results might be better seen as the public's yearning for past authoritarian rule. Dictators of the authoritarian regime (such as Chiang), their capable bureaucrats (such as Sun) and the successors they carefully trained (such as Ma) are viewed by intellectuals as politicians with character and integrity.

But political figures like Chen and Lu, who sacrificed themselves for the democracy movement and who confronted the totalitarian rulers, are considered to be of lower morality than their oppressors and are ranked far lower than them.

This comparison aroused my interest in the essence of character. Is it not true that upright behavior is often suppressed under an authoritarian rule that imposes limits on freedom? This is best manifested in the great number of political prisoners.

As the survey shows, those whose views were suppressed on account of their political activities are deemed to have flawed characters, while those who inflicted oppression or acted as hatchet men are seen as having noble personalities. These results highlight the biggest problem in Taiwan's character education.

When integrity means obedient behavior and noble, pleasant-to-hear words, when honesty is defined as abiding by the law, and when there is a lack of conflicting values, choices and actions, then people's perceptions of integrity and honesty are conditioned in a certain way. Those with power and abundant resources naturally look noble and moral. With such conditioning, integrity is no more than an act of public relations.

Integrity means the willingness to sacrifice oneself for one's ideas or principles and to give up short-term interests to safeguard certain values. It is difficult enough to make these choices under ordinary circumstances, and more difficult yet when such choices involve sacrificing one's family and one's own life to pursue an idea. This is the true definition of integrity.

Integrity education should focus on teaching people how to make a choice between interests and values and not just go with the flow. An emphasis should be placed on values and principles, while honesty, deportment and abidance by the law should be seen merely as the product of judgements based on these values or interests. What is required for integrity is not abiding by the law, but being willing to abandon one's own interests in favor of principles.

Such integrity is not conditioned, and has become more difficult to achieve as the environment has become democratized and diversified. This is because, when sources of suppression disappear and temptations increase, integrity runs into the value conflicts that come with power. This is why rebels are faced with more severe challenges when they get power.

Without comprehension of these issues, one might find it difficult to understand why some people, including some who faced suppression in the past, yearn for authoritarian power.

Hsu Yung-ming is an assistant research fellow at the Sun Yat-sen Institute for Social Sciences and Philosophy, Academia Sinica.

Diplomat in US confident of ties

By Charles Snyder

STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 1

Taiwan's top diplomat in Washing-ton, Chen Chien-jen , said Thursday that US officials had not indicated to him that the George W. Bush administration had changed its position on Taiwan independence, but he conceded that he did not know whether Bush would make any concessions on Taiwan during his meeting next Tuesday with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Chen, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, said the information given to him was that the US would continue to say it "does not support" Taiwan independence, instead of bowing to Chinese wishes that the administration say it "opposes" independence.

"I think the US government and its spokesmen in the last few days have been emphasizing it will continue to use the words, `do not support' Taiwan independence," he said

He made his comments during a luncheon address to the Asia Society in Washington.

However, just before he spoke, White House spokesman Scott McClellan, in his regular daily press briefing, said that the administration "opposes any unilateral attempts to change Taiwan's status."

"That would apply," McClellan said, "to both Beijing's possible use of force and any moves by Taiwan itself that would change the status quo on independence or unification."

The administration continues "to urge both sides to refrain from actions or statements that increase tensions or make dialogue more difficult to achieve," he said.

Asked about those statements, Chen said that "my impression and my information is that the policy hasn't changed. I think the United States wants to assure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

"But I think that the United States fully understands the importance of having a viable and vibrant democracy survive, grow and prosper."

In his speech, Chen pointed to the planned referendum and new constitution as part of the democratization process in Taiwan.

He also noted that opinion polls in recent years have shown that the lion's share of Taiwan's population support the status quo.

"The government must listen to the people. If the people want status quo, we have to achieve status quo," Chen said.

In his speech, Chen said Taiwan "is not seeking to cause trouble or antagonize anyone else, but only to better meet the needs of the people by further improving its own political system."

He also cited President Chen Shui-bian's reiteration of his "five noes" and stressed that any referendum would not deal with independence or unification issues.

Also Thursday, US Senator George Allen, the co-chairman of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell urging the State Department not to make statements opposing a referendum in Taiwan, saying such statements "could seriously damage the longtime friendship between the United States and Taiwan."

"There is serious concern that State Department officials will make a statement in the coming days in opposition to Taiwan independence," Allen said, echoing rumors circulating in Washington among conservative think tank members about a possible change in US policy.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese-American groups are mobilizing in advance of Wen's visit to Washington with plans for a mass rally at the Chinese Embassy Tuesday afternoon followed by a protest demonstration that evening outside a hotel where Wen will deliver a major policy address. Similar protests will be held in New York Sunday when Wen arrives there, and in Boston where Wen will address a Harvard audience later in the week.

The US headquarters of the World United Formosans for Independence has started a letter-writing campaign among Taiwanese-American groups to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice urging her to "support Taiwan by insisting on the American values of freedom and democracy."

Chen to detail plans for `preventive' referendum

By Fiona Lu

STAFF REPORTER

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 1

Presidential Office sources told the Taipei Times yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian will reveal details -- including the question -- tomorrow of the referendum he plans to hold along with the presidential election on March 20 next year.

The president told aides at a closed-door meeting on Thursday that it would be a "preventive," rather than "defensive" or "protective," referendum to avoid confusion in Taiwan or overseas, sources said.

The sources added that Chen had already informed the US of his plans.

Premier Yu Shyi-kun said at the legislature yesterday that Taiwan needs a "preventive" referendum to assure the status quo of the nation and safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait.

"The result of the `preventive' referendum is a message from all Taiwanese to international society," Yu said.

"The proposal was presented because the president is empowered to initiate a `preventive' referendum by the Referendum Law," he said.

"After all, Taiwan is facing a continuous threat and diplomatic suppression" from China, he said.

The DPP legislative caucus expressed its support for the premier's comment by presenting a legislative motion yesterday, saying: "The Legislative Yuan should pass a resolution to demand Beijing dismantle its missiles targeting Taiwan."

China should respect the sovereignty of the Republic of China and the hopes of the Taiwanese people in pursuing peace and democracy, the DPP said.

"The Republic of China is an independent sovereignty and does not belong to the People's Republic of China. Any proposed change in the sovereignty should be confirmed through a referendum by the 23 million people," the motion read.

Chinese media warns Hong Kong over reform calls

AP , HONG KONG

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 5

Amid growing calls for democracy in Hong Kong, Beijing has issued residents here with a reminder that they can't change the political system on their own.

The government-run Xinhua News Agency quoted Chinese legal experts as saying any changes in the way Hong Kong's leader and legislators are chosen must be approved by China's National People's Congress, as spelled out in Hong Kong's mini-constitution.

``Political review not purely an HK affair,'' read a banner headline in yesterday's Hong Kong edition of the state-run China Daily newspaper.

The reports came out after Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, met with central government leaders in Beijing this week to discuss the political climate in Hong Kong, where the ruling pro-Beijing and pro-government party suffered a serious defeat in local elections last month.

That defeat galvanized pro-democracy figures who hope to score further victories in next September's legislative elections.

Chinese President Hu Jintao told Tung in Beijing to listen more closely to the people, according to an earlier Xinhua report that said Tung had been advised to "draw on the wisdom of the masses."

The remark was taken by many in Hong Kong as a go-ahead for more debate on democratic reforms, but the subsequent signal was seen as a warning against trying to go too far.

Analysts called Beijing's latest message heavy-handed and warned that it might add to people's frustration with the unpopular Tung.

``This is certainly a warning to Hong Kong, trying to cool down the demands for political re-forms,'' said Joseph Cheng, professor of politics at the City University of Hong Kong.

Cheng said it might discourage some people from speaking out, but predicted it won't change sentiment here and ``the situation may well continue to deteriorate.''

Voters turned out in record numbers for the Nov. 23 District Council elections to hand a stunning defeat to the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, which has been closely allied to Tung and blamed its defeat largely on that association.

Pro-democracy politicians gained ground, with many Hong Kongers charged up after a July 1 march by 500,000 people that forced Tung to back down on an anti-subversion bill critics called a threat to freedoms.

Ordinary Hong Kong residents currently have no say in choosing their leader, but they get to pick 30 of the territory's 60 lawmakers in elections next September. The government's allies fear another setback as the people get more political clout.

Hong Kong's mini-constitution sets out full democracy as an eventual goal but sets no timetable. The government has pledged to discuss reforms beginning next year. Critics have long accused Tung of dragging his feet on the issue and say residents should be allowed to directly elect their next leader in 2007 and the entire Legislative Council in 2008.

Lawmakers clash over media funding

PROPAGANDA: A DPP legislator said he has a contract that proves Lien Chan knew about the secret funding of a talk show, while the KMT said he had obtained it illegally

By Fiona Lu

STAFF REPORTER

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 3

Ruling and opposition lawmakers yesterday exchanged fire over the funding of TV programs by the government and political parties.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lo Wen-chia provided further evidence on the connection between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the TV call-in program The Hope of Taiwanese Hearts.

He said he had discovered that the funding had been approved by KMT Chairman Lien Chan.

Lo said he has a copy of a KMT document bearing Lien's signature which refers to putting up money for a TV talk show targeted at winning extensive support from the electorate in central and southern Taiwan.

"Lien specified in the document that the program's host must be appointed by the KMT, and that it could only be broadcast if the KMT approved its content," Lo said.

The contract signed between the KMT and the program's producer states that the KMT would disburse NT$17.64 million to produce the show, and that the producer would face a fine of NT$500,000 if he breaks the agreement, Lo said.

"The document, signed by Lien on Aug. 23, proves the chairman's statement that he had not been informed about the funding had been a lie to the public," Lo said.

Lien, who is a candidate in the presidential election, "must not cheat his voters in this way," the DPP legislator said.

Lo said that the KMT also owns the copyright for The Hope of Taiwanese Hearts.

The KMT's claims that it was only a sponsor and that it had not interfered in the programming were also lies, Lo said.

KMT spokesman Alex Tsai condemned Lo's accusations and said that Lien could not remember every paper he had ever signed, since he needs to handle "so many papers in one day."

Tsai accused Lo of having obtained the KMT document illegally.

"The program's producer stole the paper from the KMT, and Lo was an accomplice to this low-class theft," Tsai said.

Lo on Wednesday acknowledged that the KMT had given money to help produce the call-in show, but denied that this violated its vow to not interfere in the local media.

The KMT's admission sparked a wave of criticism by opposition parties against the Government Information Office's (GIO) policy of placement marketing, in which the government buys advertisements on specific programs.

People First Party (PFP) lawmakers disputed the policy, saying the DPP government was influencing the media because TV producers would cooperate with the administration to earn adver-tising revenue.

The PFP on Thursday demanded that the GIO stop the practice, or else it would cut the proposed NT$1.1 billion information budget next year.

Premier Yu Shyi-kun objected to the opposition lawmakers' criticism.

"Propagating government policy is normal in democratic countries. Deleting the proposed expenditure would infringe on citizens' right to know," Yu said.

"The government carried out the placement marketing program with political neutrality, since its goal was to promote public welfare," he said.

Publicizing government policy is also not the same as a political party promoting it views, Yu said.

Editorial: US should not oppose referendum

A week ago, President Chen Shui-bian proposed a referendum on Taiwan's sovereignty to be held on the same day as next year's presidential election. This has caused a sensation at home and abroad.

In response, James Moriarty, the senior director for Asian affairs at the US National Security Council, visited Taipei to express Washington's concern over the referendum issue. Richard Boucher, spokesman for the US Department of State, replaced the US' mild phrase about "not supporting" an independence referendum with a statement that the US would "be opposed to" such referendums. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will visit Washington next week, and may pressure the White House on the Taiwan issue. A subtle change has occurred in the relationship among Taiwan, China and the US.

These reactions are the result of a presidential campaign, the confrontation between the green and blue camps and the distorted legislation process caused by the Referendum Law. To let the people try out the new law, Chen has decided to use Article 17, which empowers the president to initiate a "defensive referendum" on a national security issue in the face of an external threat. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has broken the through the law's restrictions, but misunderstandings of the meaning of "defensive referendum" have caused concern here and abroad.

Following explanations by government officials over the last few days, Chen has guaranteed that the goal of a defensive referendum is to let the people express their wish to maintain the status quo, and that it does not constitute a change to his "five noes" promise. The current plans for a referendum are aimed at a vote opposing China's missile deployment and the "one country, two systems" model. This is further evidence that the defensive referendum is a harmless expression of public opinion. Originally seen as provocative, it no longer challenges the status quo, but now becomes a direct expression of public opinion that does not violate Taiwan's promises to the international community.

The opposition to any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, regardless of whether such a change would be the result of China's armed threats or Taiwan changing any of the symbols of sovereignty, represents the spirit of US cross-strait policy. "Not supporting" Taiwanese independence and "opposing" Chinese military action against Taiwan cannot be separated. In other words, the essence of US policy must be an unbiased "neither arms nor independence."

China has deployed 496 missiles across the Taiwan Strait and frequently sent its warships near our waters. China's threat to Taiwan far surpasses that of the former Soviet Union to the US when it deployed missiles in Cuba during the Cold War. Then US president John Kennedy did not hesitate to bring the world to the brink of nuclear war to make Moscow remove the missiles.

Threatened by China, Taiwan is justified in holding a defensive referendum to express the people's discontent.

What the US opposes is a referendum to change the status quo. The government has clarified that the defensive referendum will not touch upon the independence-unification issue and Chen's "five noes" policy. Rather, it will maintain the status quo. Since this is in line with the US' cross-strait policy, Washington should have no reason to oppose it. The US Congress has also expressed its respect for the Taiwanese people's decision regarding their future.

Moreover, having been oppressed by China for a long time, the Taiwanese people are entitled to decide their own future.

Speaking in terms of democracy, human rights and Asia-Pacific regional security, the US should support Taiwan's holding a harmless defensive referendum.

Taking advantage of the status quo

By Paul Lin

Saturday, Dec 06, 2003,Page 8

China has recently raised doubts about US policy on Taiwan-China relations and has been issuing a series of bellicose statements to this end. In a seminar held on Nov. 18, the vice minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office, Wang Zaixi, reiterated that if the "one China" principle is violated, it would not rule out the possibility of military force.

Using tougher language, a director of research at China's Academy of Military Sciences, Luo Yuan, said that if Taiwan amends its Constitution so that its territory only covers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, then that would be the constitution of an independent Taiwan, which would cross China's line in the sand and invite war.

The interesting thing is that former president Lee Teng-hui's "special state-to-state relations" model and President Chen Shui-bian's "one country on each side [of the Taiwan Strait]" platform both deny "one China," yet China has not used military force.

Prior to Taiwan's presidential election in 2000, then-Chinese premier Zhu Rongji and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Wannian warned that electing a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president would mean war, but that war did not eventuate.

Beijing's new bottom line is that Taiwan cannot change the territory stipulated in its Constitution, which China has refused to recognize anyway. Such are Beijing's infantile games.

Does this mean that China considers itself and the Republic of Mongolia to be under the jurisdiction of Taiwan's Constitution? If so, then it's China that has to do some constitutional amending.

Regardless, the US takes the games of infants very seriously and wants to prevent China playing with fire. US State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli has said that using force to resolve cross-strait differences is "unacceptable." He has also said that the US opposes any attempt by either side to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Replying to a journalist's questions, the US Deputy Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, Randall Shriver, repeated a statement by National Security Council Advisor Condoleezza Rice recently. At a press conference on Oct. 15, Rice had said: "It is our very strong belief that nobody should try unilaterally to change the status quo."

So what is the status quo across the Taiwan Strait? Rice said differences across the strait must be resolved peacefully. Shriver also said that the cross-strait status quo is one in which differences of opinion should be dealt with by peaceful means. The role of US policy would be to create an environment for peaceful dialogue.

In short, they emphasized the "differences" first and only then mentioned peaceful solutions to the differences.

The so-called differences exist between China's "one China" principle and Taiwan's "one country on each side" platform. They apparently result from the fact that Taiwan exists as an independent country. If Taiwan is unwillingly and forcibly annexed by China, that would mean that the status quo had been changed.

The status quo does not include changes to the two sides' domestic political situations. For instance, China can amend its Constitution or even create a new one; Taiwan certainly can, too. Taiwan can strengthen democracy through use of referendums; China certainly can, too. It is unlikely the US would voice opposition if China pushed for democratic reform. All these are the domestic affairs of two independent, sovereign states.

In a recent interview with the Voice of America network, American Institute in Taiwan Chairwoman Therese Shaheen said that in regard to cross-strait problems, the US cares about the process, not the outcome. She said the outcome would be decided by the two sides, but the process must be peaceful.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage emphasized later that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is the premise on which the US bases its cross-strait policy.

He added that all those responsible for maintaining peace in the region should not pour oil on the fire. It is clear that "peace" is the keynote of the US' cross-strait policy. The statements of Armitage and Shaheen are consistent with one another.

Taiwan has never intended to launch war to change the status quo. All domestic reform has been conducted peacefully. The current government has never used violent means to punish the opposition. The "five noes" policy President Chen unveiled at his inauguration is based on the premise that China will also make an effort to maintain peaceful relations.

But if Beijing aims at changing the status quo by repeatedly threatening Taiwan with the use of military force, wantonly interfering in Taiwan's domestic politics and opposing Taiwan's push for political reforms to eliminate instability and strengthen democracy, then Taiwan would be forced to adopt counteractive measures -- peacefully, of course.

As a leader of world democracy, the US would support Taiwan's embrace of peace and democracy and stop China from imposing its totalitarian system on Taiwan through war. But in return, Taiwan must strengthen its communications with the US, and at the same time understand the difficulties facing the US. This would help reinforce Taiwan's friendship with the US and promote stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.

Paul Lin is a political commentator based in New York.