Groups call on US to support Taiwanese sovereignty

ATONEMENT:Washington is under an obligation to support Taiwan because former US leaders handed the nation to Chiang Kai-shek’s regime, TAA president Lin Yi-hsien said

By Jason Pan  /  Staff reporter

Representatives from a coalition of pro-Taiwan groups assembled in front of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday to call on the US government to assist Taiwan in achieving statehood in the long-term and asked the US to flex its muscles to deter moves by China to pressure president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to mention the so-called “1992 consensus” in her inauguration address.

At the rally, organized by the Taiwan Autonomy Alliance, about 30 protesters expressed concern over the inauguration speech and asked the US government to comply with provisions in the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), especially regarding its obligation to maintain peace and security for Taiwan, and to protect the rights of Taiwanese.

The group included members of the Taiwanese National Party, the 908 Taiwan Republic Campaign, the Taiwan National Federation of 228 Massacre Victims Association and the Nation-Building Forum.

The demonstration was met with a police cordon.

Leaders from the Taiwan Autonomy Alliance asked to present a petition to representatives of the institute, but were told officials were attending meetings.

The protesters said they would not leave and threatened to stage a sit-in. After some negotiations, an AIT representative came out to accept the letter.

Taiwan Autonomy Alliance (TAA) president Lin Yi-hsien (林義憲) said China has been actively applying political and economic pressure against Tsai, trying to force her to bring up the so-called “1992 consensus” at her inaugural address on May 20.

The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted to making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

“We call on the US government to flex its muscles and use its political influence to stop China from threatening Tsai and Taiwanese into acquiescing to the ‘1992 consensus,’ because it downgrades Taiwan’s status as an autonomous government and is a ploy to subjugate Taiwan as part of China, which we are not,” Lin said.

Alliance chairman Brian Qo (吳崑松) said the groups want the AIT to relay the message to Washington, asking the US government to issue a statement to declare its resolve to abide by the TRA to protect Taiwan’s peace and security and to warn China against making any military threats against the nation.

“We request the US government recognize our right to autonomy, that Taiwanese want to build a nation and have normalized international relationships with other nations. Right now, we have the KMT’s illegitimate ‘Republic of China’ authority ruling over us,” Qo said.

“We want to end this fraudulent regime, to replace it with a real parliament and governing body so we can have good people and good government, and engage with the world as an autonomous, independent nation,” Qo added.

Lin said that Washington is under an obligation, because US leaders handed Taiwan to Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) regime and his KMT junta at the end of World War II, which led to five decades of martial law and brutal oppression, adding that the US must address this historic misdeed by helping Taiwan build up the nation.