Overseas supporters of the Formosa Alliance’s (喜樂島聯盟) proposal for an independence referendum and the nation’s participation in the UN under the name “Taiwan” yesterday ran a full-page newspaper advertisement in Taiwan announcing their support.
The advertisement in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) printed the names of 1,350 leaders of overseas Taiwanese groups who support the alliance’s appeals, including All Japan Taiwanese Union president Chao Chung-cheng (趙中正), Taiwanese Canadian Association of Toronto president Douglas Chiang (江文基), Taiwanese Association of America president Cheng Shao-fang (鄭劭方) and former World Federation of Taiwanese Associations Europe chapter president Lu jung-chieh (盧榮杰).
Formosa TV (FTV, 民視) chairman Kuo Pei-hung (郭倍宏) on Feb. 28 announced plans for the alliance’s establishment along with politicians who support Taiwanese independence, including former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮).
Photo: Taipei Times
The alliance has called for amendments to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) and is pushing for an independence referendum on April 6 next year, as well as Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN under the name “Taiwan.”
When the alliance announced its declaration in February, it had the support of 150 leaders from different fields in Taiwan, the advertisement said.
Now, 1,350 Taiwanese living in the US, Japan, Australia, Canada, Europe, Central and South America and different parts of Asia are to participate in the movement by establishing overseas alliance supporters’ groups in response to the alliance’s appeals, it said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Taiwanese in Taiwan and overseas are urged to support the alliance and pass a referendum to remove the false label that is the “Republic of China,” the advertisement said.
Separately yesterday, Kuo said that now is the best time for Taiwan to call for independence, as the international community, the US and Japan are all very friendly toward the nation.
Taiwan should put in some effort, use the referendum to remove the Republic of China (ROC) label and stop using names like “Chinese Taipei,” he said.
Since the Referendum Act does not allow for a change to Taiwan’s sovereignty and territory, the alliance proposes that the Legislative Yuan amend the act immediately and allow 23.57 million Taiwanese to decide the future of the nation, Kuo added.
“Taiwan belongs to neither China nor the ROC; Taiwan only belongs to Taiwanese,” he said.
The alliance is to be officially launched in Kaohsiung today, the 29th anniversary of the death of democracy activist Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), who died when he set himself on fire in defense of “100 percent freedom of expression.”
Additional reporting by Su Fang-ho
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
RSS