Mon, May 03, 2004 page8

• Editorial: Poisoned words provoke changes

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  The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening its annual World Health Assembly (WHA) later this month in Geneva. So President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is leading another lobbying effort to gain WHO observer status for Taiwan in the capacity of a "health entity."

  Because this platform does not involve the conflict over Taiwan's national sovereignty, and because Chen's re-election has established Taiwan as a model for democracy in Asia, the international community should accord Taiwan just and fair treatment on this issue. The international community cannot continue to bow to China's unreasonable pressure and keep isolating Taiwan and its people.

  Despite support from the US and Japan, Taiwan's attempts to win WHO membership were pre-empted for the seventh time at the WHA meeting last June.

  Few have forgotten how China's representative to the UN in Geneva, Sha Zukang (沙祖康), humiliated the Taiwanese delegation during the meeting when he asked: "Who cares about your Taiwan?"

  Last year, the Chinese dictators concealed the SARS outbreak and created a global epidemic that caused great economic and social harm in many countries, and particularly in Taiwan.

  As the SARS epidemic hit Taiwan and created a need for international assistance, Beijing claimed SARS was a domestic issue and kept the WHO and other international medical organizations from helping Taiwan. China's Vice Premier Wu Yi (吳儀) even shamelessly lied, claiming that China was directing epidemic-prevention efforts in Taiwan.

  When Taiwan's lonely fight against SARS was won and it was willing to share its experiences and medical resources with other countries, Beijing applied further pressure to keep Taiwan's health officials and organizations from participating in international medical meetings. China relied on its satellite states to block Taiwan's accession to the WHO.

  This treachery showed Taiwan's people the Chinese leadership's true colors. But it also lent legitimacy to Chen's decision to hold the nation's first-ever referen-dum, and it helped the Democratic Progressive Party find a major theme for its presidential election campaign -- holding hands to protect Taiwan and to defy China's threats.

  China cannot have expected that its suppression of Taiwan's attempts to gain WHO entry would mark the beginning of a new Taiwanese consciousness.

  Almost a year later, Sha's poisonous question continues to have unintended positive effects. Chen and Taiwanese consciousness won the presidential election with a majority of the vote.

  During the campaign, even China-friendly politicians from the anti-independence Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party were forced to criticize China and use strong language to warn Beijing against further offending Taiwan's people.

  Further from home, EU countries now follow the US and Japan in expressing their support for Taiwan's democratic achievements. These allies are willing to help Taiwan participate in the international community on normalized and equal terms.

  Will the Chinese government finally wake up and accept Taiwanese mainstream opinion? Beijing often claims to pin its hopes on Taiwan's people.

  The WHA offers China a great opportunity to turn savagery into benevolence and political considerations into human concern. We hope that Beijing's new generation of leaders will see that continuing its past tough approach will only further alienate the Taiwanese people.

  A humane and sensible approach would reflect the demeanor of a great power. But if China persists in its old bullying attitudes, Taiwan's year-end legislative elections will result in yet another slap to Beijing's face.
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