Taiwan should seek the right to hold the 2016 Olympics under the name of Taiwan instead of Chinese-Taipei, said a leading church official yesterday.
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan general-secretary William Lo (
"We need to take the initiative and show the world we are an independent country. If we propose holding the Olympics in 2016 under the name Taiwan, then we demonstrate that we have confidence in ourselves, that we have the ability and will to unite together. It is our responsibility to contribute to the global village as one of its members," said Lo, an active proponent of Taiwanese independence.
The proposal is the brainchild of Yang, who submitted a written proposal to President Chen Shui-bian (
Kaohsiung has already received the go ahead for the 2009 World Championships and should try for the Olympics, Yang said, suggesting Kuantu as a prime location for erecting an Olympic park.
Lo emphasized the importance of using "Taiwan" versus "Chinese-Taipei" in international situations.
"If we acknowledge ourselves to be Chinese-Taipei then we are saying we are stateless. Other people internationally will look down on us because we've already admitted that we're not a nation," Lo said.
When asked about China's possible reaction to such a proposal, Lo pointed to the recent controversy behind Taiwan's posters in Athens as proof that China was determined to oppress Taiwan through any means possible.
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Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
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