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Congressional
Record
TAIWAN'S
PEACE REFERENDUM
February
5, 2004
Mr. ALLEN: Mr.
President, for the past fifty-four years, Taiwan and the
United States have been allies in the international arena,
democratic partners and friends. In times of need and
turmoil, both countries have always come to each other's
aid. In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist
attacks, Taiwan immediately offered help to Americans
through the U.S. government. In recent months, Taiwan
has offered humanitarian aid to post-war Iraq.
Today Taiwan is being
threatened. Taiwan's planned referendum on March 20,
2004 has been called a move toward Taiwan independence.
Some say it will push Taiwan to the "abyss of
war." Such rhetoric is a distortion of Taiwan's
true intentions. In the face of an overwhelming
military threat against Taiwan, Taiwan President Chen
Shui-bian's peace referendum asks Taiwan voters whether they
should buy more anti-missile weapons if the People's
Republic of China refuses to withdraw its 496 missiles
targeted at Taiwan and whether Taiwan should open up talks
with the People's Republic of China about issues of peace.
Taiwan's
democratically elected president, President Chen, has made
it clear that he continues to hold to the "five
no's" of his inauguration speech, including the promise
not to hold a plebiscite on the issue of Taiwanese
independence. The referendum merely aims to avoid war,
free its people from fear and maintain the status quo.
Taiwan, our ally and
friend, is a democracy. Its people have every right to
hold their referendum this March 20th. Taiwan's
referendum law is a basic democratic right that the United
States should support rather than denigrate. The
future of Taiwan must be determined peacefully, with the
express consent of the people of Taiwan. Since its
establishment, the United States has been the foremost
champion of liberty and democracy in the world. We
can, therefore, not afford to tell the people of Taiwan not
to hold a referendum. There can be no double standard
when it comes to exercising democracy.
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