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

The quake, which struck Taiwan early Tuesday (Sept. 21, 1999) has wreaked havoc on the island, killing 2,189 persons injuring 8,432 and trapping 291 under collapsed buildings, making it the century's worst disaster for the island.

After a devastating quake, people had a paternalistic view of their government, but the emotional damage will linger for years.

Now, people must stand up themselves, and keep a responsibility for their own fate. Psychiatrists warned yesterday (Sept. 27, 1999) that hundreds of thousands refugees will need counseling after Taiwan's deadly earthquake, wracked by quiet, and insomnia from uninterrupted after shocks. "After the initial rescue efforts, now is the time to focus on the mental and emotional state of refuges," said Chen Mei-chi, director of counseling at Fu Jen catholic.

University, near the capital Taipei, "many people are afraid to go to sleep and when they do, they have nightmares. Others sleep in their clothes so that they can get up and run if anything happens."

This kind of psychologic attack not only in Taiwan, but also connect to all world those who suffering from catastrophe.

After the earthquake, many foreign rescue and medical teams rushed to Taiwan in search of survivors and to help heal wounds. These foreign teams expressed the most profound enthusiasm and professionalism while offering this island aid.

Japan:
Over 100 rescuers with heavy equipment and ten sniffer dogs arrived from Japan. The group, which was the first to arrive in Taiwan, included a medical team composed of 11 doctors and nurses. The team helped to search for survivors in Taipei's Tunghsing building on Pateh Road. In the following days, the team worked in Dali, just outside of Taichung and also in Nantou County.

The 108 rescuers left on September 28 and the medical team left on October 5. To show their sympathy and passion for Taiwan, Japan will be sending private organizations, including volunteers a medical staff and rescuers to help with further rehabilitation efforts.

Korea:
During their five-day stay in Taiwan, Korean rescuers cooperated with German teams to save Chang Jinghung, a six-year-old boy who was trapped in the collapsed building for 80 hours. Korean rescuers, compose of 49 members and five dogs, mainly worked in Taichung County's Dali and also Nantou County. More than 30 private medical staffs helped rescue people Taiwan County's Tungshih.

Germany:
With heavy, high-tech equipment, German rescuers were divided into two groups to help during Taiwan's 9-21 earthquake. The first group, which arrived on September 22 and left on September 26, consisted of 11 people and seven dogs and primarily concentrated on areas damaged in Chunghua County. A team of Austrians joined the Germany teams, bring the total numbers working in the area to 75 rescuers and 25 sniffer dogs. The teams worked in Taichung for six days, from September 22 to September 27.

Turkey:
A total of 45 people from Turkey divided in to three teams upon their arrival in Taiwan. The first team included 18 people working for a private organization in Turkey.

The second team was a government-based team, serving for part of the ministry of the interior. This team included 20 people and a sniffer dog, which saved the life of a young woman.

"The dog was a little dizzy after the long flight, but to fortunately it recovered vary fast," says Teoman Surenkok, representative of the Turkey Trade Office in Taipei, who helped the rescue teams with formalities during their stay in Taiwan.

The third team consisted of seven people and was a private organization which cooperates with rescue teams from other European countries.

"The teams are all specialized in rescue work," said Surenkok. "They all worked together after the earthquake in Turkey earlier this year."

Mexico:
Mexico sent its "gophers" - rescuers who crawl into places on their own, without any special equipment.

As a country which is often struck by big tremors, Mexico has developed its own kind of rescue techniques. Without any special equipment, the Mexican gophers dig into the rubble with their own hands.

Three teams with a total of 19 people arrived in Taiwan on September 24 and left on October 2. All of the rescue workers are volunteers and began working together as rescuers when the big earthquake hit Mexico City in 1985.

"The teams represented the feelings of the Mexican people and contributed to giving some hope to the Taiwanese people," says Jose Olea Iturralde, Director General of the Mexican Trade Services in Taipei.

Overseas Chinese show their love

In responding to Chao Jen-ho appeal, the minister of Overseas Chinese Commission, the overseas Chinese living in 50 countries have shown their enthusiasm and generosity for the victims of the 921 earthquake. To 4th October, according to Overseas Chinese Commission report gathered from foreign legations, the total donations for earthquake aids have reached NT$0.8 billion.

The activities for celebrating Double Ten Day have been cancelled because of the unpredictable earthquake happened on the early morning of 21st September. While, there are still 2,000 overseas Chinese who have made schedule or are very concerned about the earthquake victims decide to come home. Overseas Chinese Commission officials say they will appropriately arrange their visits to these damaged areas.

Taichung best.

Oct. 6, 1999 ---
A visiting official from the United Nations International Council For Caring Communities (ICFCC) and Communications Coordinating Committee (CCC) is praising Taichung city government officials' earthquake relief efforts for the elderly and populations as a whole.

Dr. Neil Solomon, a board member of the UN's CCC and Board Chairman of the ICFCC's Health, Education and Science Research Center, had nothing but praise for the relief efforts of the Taichung city government and Mayor Chang Wen-ying, whom he met with on Monday. In particular, he singled out the mayor's efforts to provide for the welfare of the city's elderly.

"I think the mayor's done an outstanding job caring for the aged as well as everyone else. I found that the aged actually coped quite well during the earthquake. In fact, they may have coped better than young people," he said, crediting this to innovated programs for senior citizens already in place before the quake.

Solomon said that his findings would be presented in newsletters published and distributed worldwide by the U.N.'s CCC and the Commission on Aging, of which he is also a part. His three-day visit to the island is at the invitation of Direct Source publishing house and U.S.-base Morinda Company, to speak about the special health benefits of the tropical noni fruit, which he has written a book about. However, Solomon said that the U.N. non-government organizations (NGOs) he works with also agreed to report on the current post-earthquake situation in Taiwan.

"Instead of recommendations for local officials, I learned from them ...If you're looking for criticism, there's none," said the U.N. official, who is also scheduled to meet the deputy director-general of the Cabinet's Department of Health today.

Solomon noted that, during disasters, the most vulnerable groups were very young children and the elderly, due to the fact that both group's had less reserve capacity and were thus less able to protect themselves. In Taiwan, a traditional respect and care for the elderly, combined with quick government action and supports for local government authorities helped relief efforts significantly, he said.

He emphasized that it was important for central government authorities to give both support and freedom to local-level governments and officials who know how to best implement and prioritize relief and rebuilding programs. The end result was less bureaucracy and more efficiency, he said, noting that the same challenge existed between the federal, state, city/country and community governments in the U.S..

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 ---
USA Today published Monday a letter from ROC government spokesman Chen Chien-jen expressing Taiwan's gratitude to the rest of the world for their support and sympathy as well as humanitarian assistance following the 921 earthquake.

"We would much prefer that anything but disaster be the basis for closer cooperation with the rest of the world," he said.

The director-general of the ROC Government Information Office wrote that "The tremendous warmth and generosity shown us following the earthquake Sept. 21 have made the people of Taiwan feel they are not alone, that they are indeed an integral part of our global village."

Chen told the American readership that messages of support and sympathy quickly came from U.S. President Bill Clinton and many other world leaders. And more than 20 countries generously responded to the devastating earthquake by providing humanitarian assistance in the form of rescue teams and equipment.

When time was of the essence, he said, "it was heartening to have teams of search-and-rescue professionals from the USA, Japan, France, Russia, Singapore and many other countries helping alongside our rescue teams. We know for a fact that lives were saved as a result of our joint efforts."

Of course, Chen noted, "even expert assistance from the international community cannot mend broken hearts or bring back missing loved ones: The loss for the people of Taiwan is very real. We would much prefer that anything but disaster be the basis for closer cooperation with the rest of the world."

But this event has brought all ROC citizens closer together than ever - "and more determined to build new links to the international community, even as we rebuild collapsed bridges in Taiwan," he stressed.

Chen went on to say that the minutes in which the news of the earthquake's magnitude spread around the world and the hours within with international experts were already arriving by air, "underscored just how small our planet has become at the end of the 20th century."

Yet, Chen wrote, "it doesn't have to take a disaster to remind us that Taiwan is very much a part of the international community --- and that we matter to each other. The government and people of the Republic of China on Taiwan are grateful for the kind assistance of the international community. We shall never forget."

We only said that "let us dedicate ourselves anew to the struggle for the will of our beloved island. Let us all, Taiwanese people not be filled with hatred and bitterness.

For all of us, people live in Taiwan together, shall overcome, nay indeed have already overcome.

If God is in our side, who can be against us? What can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or hardship?

Can persecution, hunger, nakedness, peril or the sword? We are being done to death for they sack all day along, as the scripture says; we are being treated like sheep for slaughter --- and yet in spite of all, overwhelming victory is ours through him who loves us.

Taiwan people give their best wishes to you.