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Taiwan-US groups
express concern over China drift
By William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON
A group of 21 Taiwanese-American organizations on Monday accused President Ma
Ying-jeou (馬英九) of leading the nation on a “gradual drift into the shadow of
China.”
In an open letter to Ma — published on the Internet and sent to members of the
US Congress — the organizations charged that under Ma’s administration, Taiwan
had moved “in the direction of a repressive China at the expense of freedom and
democracy.”
The letter was to be delivered to Ma during his six-hour stopover in Los Angeles
before he returned to Taiwan following a five-country visit to Caribbean and
South American allies.
Ma has cut short his visit by a day to be back in Taiwan because of a tropical
storm.
The organizations said they wanted to “express concern” about recent actions and
decisions by the Ma government, and to support recent protests organized by
civic groups in Taiwan.
They said Taiwanese were taking to the streets to oppose Ma’s “wrong-headed
policies and heavy-handed practices.”
The letter cited opposition to the signing of the cross-strait service trade
agreement with China, construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao
District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), and the forced demolition of homes in
Taipei and Miaoli.
It said Taiwanese were “angry and upset about the incompetence of your
government” and that Ma’s policies were reminiscent of the days of martial law.
“We urge our friends and families in Taiwan to continue the pressure for
justices, freedom and democracy,” it said.
“We appeal to the United States government and Congress to pay close attention
to the developments in Taiwan and to support those who fight for freedom,” the
letter said.
“A stable and democratic Taiwan can only be ensured if the people have a fully
free choice in running their own lives,” the letter concluded.
The letter was signed by the Wang Kang-Lu Memorial Foundation, the Formosan
Association for Human Rights, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs,
Friends for Taiwan, the North American Taiwanese Professors’ Association, two
branches of the North American Taiwanese Women’s Association, the North American
Taiwanese Engineers’ Association, the Professor Chen Wen-Chen Memorial
Foundation and the Taiwan Hakka Association for Public Affairs.
It was also signed by the Taiwanese American Center, eight separate branches of
the Taiwanese Association of America, the World Taiwanese Congress and World
United Formosans for Independence.
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