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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                               December 16, 2005

CONTACT: Iris Ho 202-547-3686

OVER 50 REPRESENTATIVES URGE SECRETARY RICE TO INVITE TAIWAN TO BEIJING AVIAN FLU TALKS/ INCLUDE TAIWAN IN IPAPI NETWORK

In a letter dated December 16, 53 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives ask Secretary Rice for an explanation why Taiwan is left out of US-initiated International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) network, and that Taiwan “be included in the next full meeting of IPAPI, scheduled for January 2006 in Beijing.”

The letter, initiated by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) and co-signed by -among others- House International Relations Committee chair Henry Hyde, reads: “We encourage you to work with Taiwan as a part of the international effort to combat the avian flu, despite Taiwan's exclusion from the WHO.  Please provide an update on how the Administration has been working with Taiwan in combating the avian flu in the face of its official isolation. We also ask what steps will be taken to ensure Taiwan's involvement in international health cooperation in the future.”

The Members conclude: “Diseases know no borders. Taiwan cannot afford to be the missing link in this international battle against the avian flu. Even more importantly, the global community cannot afford to leave Taiwan out.”

FAPA President-elect C.T. Lee M.D. states: “As a medical doctor myself, saving lives is the sacred duty that every doctor must uphold regardless the patient’s sex, religion, race or profession. The same universality should be applied by the international arena to the case of Taiwan.”

“It is unimaginable that with the Avian Flu currently spreading through Asia, Taiwan, being in the heart of the region, is noticeably absent in the related global network.”

Lee concludes: “The international community needs to stop playing politics over the lives of the Taiwanese people and promptly invite Taiwan to all Avian Flu related global conferences and networks.” 

新聞聯絡人何燕青 202-547-3686/ 202-255-1593

【FAPA 新聞稿】                                                                                                     【2005年12月16日】

五十多位眾議員聯署要求萊斯國務卿邀請台灣參加即將於北京召開的禽流感會議，以及禽流感國際合作計畫(IPAPI)

五十三位美國眾議員於今日(16日)聯署致函萊斯國務卿，要求國務院向他們解釋為什麼台灣至今仍被排拒在由美國所提出的禽流感國際合作計劃(International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza)，議員們並希望台灣能夠受邀參加明年元月於北京所舉行的禽流感國際會議。

這封由安德魯斯眾議員(Robert Andrews, D-NJ)所發起的信函獲得五十三位議員的聯署，其中並包括重量級的國際關係委員會主席海德(Henry Hyde, R-IL)。議員們在信中表示：「我們鼓勵您在國際防治禽流感的努力下與台灣合作，即使台灣不是世界衛生組織的一份子。我們並請您提供一份行政部門至今如何與台灣合作一同抵抗禽流感的最新報告。」

議員們並在信中列舉出多項數據，以及其他台灣無法全權參與的相關會議，以突顯出台灣必須加入國際禽流感各項防治計劃的急迫性。

議員們最後表示：「疾病無國界。台灣無法承受成為國際抵抗禽流感一環中的漏洞。更重要的是國際社會不能承受排除台灣的結果。」

FAPA新上任會長李青泰表示：「由於本人為醫生，對我來說，挽救任何生命是每一位醫生最神聖的使命，這與病人的性別，宗教信仰，種族或是職業毫無關係。國際社會也應該以同樣的普世原則來對待台灣。」

李青泰繼續表示：「當禽流感正在亞洲肆虐的時刻，台灣身處於亞洲的重要轉運點，竟刻意地被排除在國際禽流感防治計劃之外，實在令人不敢想像。國際社會必須立刻停止這種玩弄政治、枉顧台灣人民的手段；並立即邀請台灣參與所有與禽流感相關係的國際會議員計劃。」