For Immediate Release March 18, 2004
17 NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATORS ENDORSE TAIWAN REFERENDUM
AND URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SUPPORT TAIWAN
A bi-partisan group of 17 elected members of the New York State Assembly led by Assembly Members Richard
Gottfried of Manhattan and Barry Grodenchik of Flushing today sent a letter to President George W. Bush concluding
"America should not be telling a free democratic people, who are and have long been our loyal friends, that they
have no right to express their identity and commitment to self-government. Taiwan deserves our support."
They add: "Taiwan is holding a referendum, as is common in many United States state and local governments
and national governments around the world."
They state: "We are very concerned that the United States government has joined China in criticizing Taiwan for
considering these propositions. We do appreciate the statement by your administration that "we've got to make it clear
to the Chinese that this is not a green light for you to contemplate the use of force or coercion against Taiwan."
FAPA President Ming-chi Wu states: "It is important to realize that strong support for Taiwan and for a Taiwan referendum
not only exists on the federal level but also on the State level. It is extra significant that this support originates from the state
of New York - likely the most important political state in the Union."
【FAPA
新聞稿】
【2004年3月18日】
Contact:
Iris Ho at 202-547-3686
十七位紐約州州議員連署致函布希總統，支持台灣公民投票的舉行
十七位跨黨派的紐約州州議員，在格特費（Richard
Gottfried, R-Manhattan）與國登奇(Barry Grodenchik, D-Flushing)的帶領下，於昨日集體致函布希總統，向布希表示：「美國不應該告訴一群崇尚自由、民主，並且為我們忠實盟友的人民，他們沒有權利展現他們對自我認同與自治政府的承諾。台灣值得我們的支持。」
此封信也表示：「台灣即將要舉行公民投票，這在美國許多州政府以及聯邦政府層級，甚或是世界各國政府來說，都是很普遍的。」
「我們非常關切美國政府因為台灣所考慮採取的一些主張，而與中國政府一起批評台灣。我們非常感謝您行政部門曾提及的：『我們必須向中國表示，這並不代表你們可以為所欲為，採取武力對付或是恐嚇台灣。』」，議員們在信中這樣表示。
台灣人公共事務會會長吳明基表示：「瞭解到台灣即將舉行的首次公民投票，除了在美國聯邦層級之外，在各地州政府層級也得到強烈的支持是相當重要的。尤其當這樣的支持是來自重要政治中心之一的紐約州時，意義格外地重大。」
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