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Taiwan rights group calls on US
Congress for support
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in Washington
Chao Tsung-song shows a US
newspaper report about the mural he painted in Corvallis, Oregon, in Changhua
County on Sept. 4.
Photo: Yen Hung-chun, Taipei Times
Members of the US Congress are being asked
to lodge a formal protest with the Chinese government over its efforts to have a
large mural promoting Taiwan independence removed from a wall in the town of
Corvallis, Oregon.
The Chinese consulate in San Francisco last week wrote to the mayor of Corvallis
and sent two diplomats to see her in an attempt to censor the mural.
Now, the Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) has
contacted Oregon¡¦s two senators and five Congressional representatives appealing
for a counterattack.
¡§This action by the consulate general of the PRC is a flagrant interference in
the internal affairs of the US and a blatant attempt to silence people with
different views,¡¨ FAPA president Mark Kao (°ªÀsºa) said in a letter sent on Monday
to the legislators.
Kao wants them to express ¡§deep concern¡¨ to the US Department of State and
formalize a protest.
The letter explains that Taiwanese-American businessman David Lin (ªL»Ê·s) had the
3m by 30m mural painted with images supporting ¡§freedom, democracy and
independence¡¨ for both Taiwan and Tibet.
The mural is located on a brick wall of a building owned by Lin.
¡§It has just come to our attention that on Aug. 8, the consulate general of the
People¡¦s Republic of China sent a strongly worded letter to Corvallis Mayor
Julie Manning, urging her to take down the mural, and implying that economic
ties between China and Oregon would suffer if the request was not honored,¡¨ Kao
said in the letter.
¡§To her credit, Mayor Manning responded that the First Amendment of the US
Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, which includes freedom of artistic
expression,¡¨ Kao added.
¡§We are concerned though that the Chinese government will use economic and other
means to try to force their position,¡¨ he said.
In the meantime, Manning has received a number of letters from academics, social
commentators and US citizens of Taiwanese descent supporting the mural and her
stand against Beijing.
¡§Your shining example is what we wish more government officials and politicians
across America would follow,¡¨ American Citizens for Taiwan director-general
Brock Freeman said in a letter to Manning.
He thanked Manning for exposing ¡§the Chinese government¡¦s threats¡¨ and for
supporting human rights and freedom of speech ¡§bought with blood and tears.¡¨
Another letter to Manning from Milo Thornberry ¡X a seminary teacher in Taiwan in
the 1960s and 1970s ¡X praised her for not giving in to ¡§Chinese bullying.¡¨
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