Dear Mr. Kofi A. Annan,
　　 Mr. Secretary-General George Robertson,
　　 Mr. Trent Lott,
　　 Mr. Denny Hastert,

President Lee wants to seek better relations with mainland China. Lu Ya-li, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said Lee didn't want to provoke Beijing because increased tensions would only further rattle a public that already has enough to worry about in the wake of the killer quake. But, "it's not that Lee is trying to change his stance with China or meet Beijing's demands."

Last week (Oct.1,1999) Beijing leader Jiang Zemin seemed to tone down the rhetoric against Taiwan during a key National day speech. He surprised many in Taiwan by not mentioning mainland China's long-standing threat to invade if the island seeks independence. It could be a sign that the other side is opening more windows for contacts.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 6 ---
The State Department has designated mainland China and six other countries for possible sanctions for having engaged in or tolerated "particularly severe" violations of religious freedom, officials said.

According to statute, the secretary of state is authorized to choose from a variety of sanctions to show U.S. displeasure over the absence of religious freedom in the designated countries. The secretary has the option of waiving sanctions if she deems it to be in the national interest. The report said mainland Chinese government intolerance of unregistered religious activity has led in some areas to persecution of people, on the basis of religious practice, "through harassment, prolonged detention and incarceration in prison or 'reform-through-labor' camps."

The report offers these evaluations on the other six:

Afghanistan --- Shiites suffer persecution and killing at the hands of the Taliban-led government in Kabul. Afghan police impose "severe physical punishment and imprisonment" for deviations from codes of worship and dress, the report said.

Myanmar --- The government arrests and imprisons Buddhist monks who promote human and political rights.

Iran --- Polices have been implemented to eradicate the Baha'i faith through prolonged imprisonment of Bahai's, confiscation and desecration of holy places and denial of the right to assemble.

Iraq --- The government has conducted a campaign of murder, summary execution and protracted arbitrary arrest against religious leaders and adherents of the Shi'a Muslim population.

Serbia --- Authorities engaged in the killing, torture, rape and forced emigration of Kosovar Albanians.

Sudan --- Christians, practitioners of traditional indigenous religious and Muslims who deviate from the official interpretation of Islam are subject to killing, prolonged arbitrary detention or imprisonment, threats, violence and forced conversion to Islam.

PANAMA CITY, Oct. 7 ---
The Panama Canal administration on Wednesday dismissed the fears of some U.S. conservatives that the Panama Canal will fall under mainland Chinese influence when it reverts to Panama at year's end.

"Concerns about the Chinese taking control of the canal are completely unfounded and based on a misunderstanding," Joseph Cornelison, deputy administrator of the Panama Canal Commission (PCC), told Reuters.

Cornelison's comments came in response to the delivery of a petition with 250,000 signatures to Congress on Tuesday that called on U.S. President Bill Clinton to revoke a 1977 treaty ceding U.S. control of the Panama Canal to Panama on Dec. 31.

Representative Bob Barr, a Republican from Georgia who presented the appeal to Congress, repeated concerns expressed by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, in a letter to the U.S. defense secretary in August that canal security was "threatened" by communist Chinese influence.

In 1997, the Hong Kong-based shipping company Hutchison Whampoa, which controls 10 percent of global maritime container traffic, acquired port operations at Balboa and Cristobal, on the Pacific and Atlantic approaches to the Panama Canal.

Sen. Lott has argued that the proximity of Hutchison's operations to the canal's entrance would place U.S. naval ships "at the mercy of Chinese-controlled pilots."

But Cornelison disputed this.

"While the ports are near the entrance to the canal, they are not the entrance of the canal," he said. "The PCC controls what ships go into the ports and not the other way round. Ships cannot enter canal waters until the PCC assign a pilot."

Hutchison Whampoa issued a communique in August denying that there were any mainland Chinese interests in the company's Panamanian subsidiary, the Panama Ports Company, or that company chairman Li Kashing had "any connection whatsoever with the People's Liberation Army," as Lott maintained.

Last week, Pentagon officials dismissed concerns for the security of the waterway after it passes to Panamanian control.

Clearly, that Japanese policy leaders are considering altering defense policy is not surprising when one considers recent North Korea missile tests and that country's apparent nuclear capability. The Japanese are concerned about America's commitment to Asia's defense and fearful of the growing weapons capability of North Korea and China.

With China's enhanced military strength, gained in part from theft of nuclear technology from U.S. laboratories. Japanese officials fear the day when China can checkmate U.S. involvement in Asia, leaving Japan alone to defend itself.

On the other hand, other countries in Asia have the same worry that the enhancement of conventional weapons could attack anywhere under adventurous movement from such nuclear weapon's country.

In Taiwan, we are stepping forward for the rule of law and protecting the rights of our servicemen over human rights' basis.

After more than four decades without any reform to the military court system, on October 1 a revised version of the law passed its third reading in the Legislature. The Presidential Official immediately followed with the announcement that implementation of the revised law would begin on October 3. The revisions in this law represent a great step forward for the rule of law and for protection of the rights of our servicemen.

The revised law, which sets up a trial system independent of the military, includes a number of key provisions. Military command will be prevented from influencing court procedures; judicial bodies will no longer be directly subordinate to military units; a three-level trial procedure will be adopted; lawyers may be appointed by the defendant during the trial procedure; powers of detention will be delegated to the military courts; the conditions under which non-active or temporarily active servicemen may be subjected to military law will be restricted; military courts and prosecutor's offices at all levels will be established outside of military bases, allowing civilian attendance at hearings; and the roles of prosecutors and judges will be strictly separated. All these revision are in accordance with the constitutional interpretation made two years ago by the Council of Grand Justices. We commend the Ministry of National Defense and the Legislative Yuan for their enlightened and progressive attitudes in following up on that ruling and effecting these revisions.

During the 40 years of martial law, the fetters under which the constitutional system operated meant that citizens --- be they civilians or military personnel --- were never free from fear while living under the shadow of the military court system. However, the democratization of the last decade has meant the gradual establishment of the rule of law. The opening up of the "black box" of the military trial system represents a significant milestone in our nation's modernization.

The fundamental import of the broad revisions in this law is that the military justice system is brought into line with the national judicial system, and constitutional principles are applied within the sphere of military justice. Thus both active military personnel and reserves will enjoy democratic, constitutional protections of their human rights while carrying out the sacred duty of protecting their country.

We hope that the military judicial authorities who, with their civilian counterparts, bear responsibility for law enforcement will be thoroughly cognizant of the spirit of the rule of law represented in these revisions. Steps toward speedy enactment of their provisions will constitute a further contribution, at another level, to the defense capabilities of our nation.

Servicemen are just civilians who wear a uniform for a time. They must enjoy the same basic guarantees as civilians of justice and the search for truth in the legal process. Application of the principles of the democratic rule of law should make no distinction between military personnel and civilians, men or women, young or old. Measures such as eliminating interference from the military command and creating an independent military justice system, thus guaranteeing the rights of military personnel in the trial system and preserving the independence of the judiciary, are worthy of our highest praise.

On above reason, democratic Taiwan needs your help.