For Immediate Release                                                March 17, 2004

REPS. HOWARD BERMAN AND ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

ENDORSE TAIWAN REFERENDUM

On March 16, Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) issued statements 

in support of a Taiwan referendum to be held on March 20.

Rep. Berman has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for over twenty years. Both 

Berman and Ros-Lehtinen hold senior positions on the House International Relations Committee.

Berman states: "I strongly support Taiwan's right to hold these referenda, free from intimidation, and I 

urge all my colleagues to do the same."

He adds: "[...] our foreign policy should not be based on trying to avoid making China angry - that would 

be tantamount to giving them veto power over our actions."

Ros-Lehtinen states: "As the people of Taiwan prepare to cast their ballots on numerous issues dealing with

 their future and their democratically elected government, I stand tall, shoulder to shoulder, with the men and 

women who understand the democratic process and truly believe in it."

FAPA President Ming-chi Wu states: "It is obvious that there is tremendous support for a Taiwan referendum 

in the U.S. Congress. Members have gone the extra mile and issued statements explicitly endorsing a Taiwan 

referendum. We urge the people of Taiwan to vote and participate in the referendum free from fear."

【FAPA 新聞稿】                                                                                    【2004年3月17日】

Contact: Iris Ho at 202-547-3686

美眾議員在台灣大選前發表聲明，支持台灣公民投票的舉行

一向對台灣友好的眾議員柏曼(Howard Berman, D-CA)與羅特娜(Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,R-FL)在

昨日雙雙發表國會聲明，公開支持台灣即將在後天舉行的公民投票。

柏曼與羅特娜兩位議員均為國際關係委員會裡的資深成員，是美國國會裡數一數二支持台

灣的國會議員。柏曼議員在其聲明裡表示：「美國在數項議題上必須尋求中國的支持一事

固然重要，但是我們的外交政策不應該是以防止激怒中國為基準，這樣就彷彿中國對我們

的行為擁有否決權。」柏曼接著表示：「我強烈支持台灣有權利在不受脅迫之下，舉行這

次的公民投票。我並呼籲我的同僚們仿傚這樣的支持。」

羅特娜眾議員則表示：「當台灣人民準備就數個與他們未來以及他們民選政府有關的議題

投下一票時，我很驕傲地與這群瞭解民主進程並深信（這個民主）程序的男男女女，肩並

肩，站在一起。」

台灣人公共事務會(FAPA)會長吳明基表示：「很明顯的，美國國會相當支持台灣首次舉行

的公民投票，議員們才會因而特地公開發表國會聲明。我們希望台灣人民能夠瞭解到美國

議員們的用心良苦，在3月20日參與公民投票的舉行，投下神聖的一票。」