President William Lai (賴清德) and former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Monday appealed for more attention to be paid to freedom of religion in Asia at a religious freedom event in Tokyo, citing China as being the chief culprit.
Lai, who spoke via a prerecorded video, and Pompeo gave separate speeches about many of the same issues at the International Religious Freedom Summit Asia, the Washington Times reported on Monday.
The summit was sponsored by Freedom House, the Family Research Council and The Washington Times Foundation, among other organizations.
Photo: CNA
In his prerecorded video speech, Lai called on the international community to “reaffirm our commitment to freedom and dignity,” as risks are rising in an era of “democratic backsliding” and “widespread aggression,” the report said.
Taiwan is “a beacon for religious freedom” and supports “inclusiveness, religious diversity and interfaith dialogue,” he was quoted as saying, citing data from international democracy surveys to show that Taiwan has significant freedom of speech and religion.
Meanwhile, 19th-century Christian missionaries who came from Western countries to Taiwan left a medical legacy behind, Lai said.
Local religious organizations built on that legacy by engaging in medical work and disaster relief at home and abroad, he was quoted as saying, adding that this has helped the Taiwanese government build relationships with international organizations.
Pompeo, who was formerly a CIA director prior to serving as secretary of state under former US president Donald Trump, said that US policies to bolster religious freedom overseas had bipartisan support during Trump’s presidency, the report said.
Any government attempting to quash religious faith is “indecent,” as faith is deeply rooted in human nature, he was quoted as saying in the report.
Republicans and Democrats might have different views, but both believe in international religious freedom, Pompeo said.
The issue “is not partisan” in the US, as freedom of faith is “intrinsic to human dignity,” he said.
Religious freedom in China is in a dire situation as Beijing has destroyed religious places in Tibet and Xinjiang, jailed believers in re-education camps, and placed children in “colonial boarding schools” to annihilate local belief systems and cultural identities, the report quoted Lai as saying.
Pompeo warned against living in a “fantasy world” and insisted that Taiwan is de facto “a free, independent and sovereign nation,” according to the report.
The Washington Times also said that Pompeo advised against “kowtowing” to China when it threatens Taiwan, which “poses zero threat to the people of mainland China.”
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