For months on end, Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian has intensified his activities to advance a "referendum on entry to the United Nations in the name of Taiwan". This election trick or gimmick played by his regime will jeopardize peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait region to the detriment of the fundamental interests of countrymen on both sides of the strait.
"Referendum", a tool for Chen Shui-bian's personal interests
For Chen Shui-bian, he intends to rescue his life and hold on to power by doing all he is capable of guiding and pressing ahead "Referendum on the Entry to the UN".
First of all, he wants to rescue his life. He attempts to use "a Chen Shui-bian bent on Taiwan independence" to rescue "another corrupted Chen Shui-bian." Since 2006, Chen's favorites, son-in-law, wife and himself, have been involved in several corruption scandals. No matter if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) could hold the power in Taiwan in 2008, Chen will lose judicial immunity and he and his family will face several law suits. So he has done his utmost to make use of the remaining days in his tenure in preparation to evade possible trials and sanctions after he leaves his office.
Secondly, he attempts to hold on to power. Chen Shui-bian is well-known both inside the island and overseas as an infamous power fanatic. Chen began spurring the referendum for UN membership in early this year to "kidnap" the DPP candidates with the most extreme line and to retain his political influence.
As for DPP, its all-round coordination to push ahead the "referendum on entry to UN" is designed to put up a tough, last-ditch fight for "Presidential campaigning" and retain its power. To date, DPP no longer has any cards to play during the 2008 "Presidential" election. Hence, Chen Shui-bian, in a bid to distract the focus of people's attention, made the "main axis" the use of such Taiwan independence cards as the Referendum for UN membership and the "normal country" resolution draft.
Since the yearend of 2005, the "rapid independence" faction inside DPP has developed and grown in strength, and so its authority attempts to duplicate "the referendum to coincide the 2004 presidential election", in a hope to draw more votes.
"Referendum" represents popular call instigated by Taiwan authority
In advancing the referendum on entry to UN, the vile and covetous Chen Shui-bian and DPP have stepped up an island-wide call to seek increasing popularity for "Taiwan independence" under the cover of the so-called "freedom, democracy and human rights".
So far, the top concern for the Taiwanese is an issue relating to their livelihood resultant from the inept rule of DPP. The Chen Shui-bian authority, however, has remained apathetic and indifferent to the issue. Instead, he himself has prompted the referendum via tapping the administrative resources he musters and by unscrupulous methods. Furthermore, the DPP central leadership has established command centers at its 25 sub-quarters across the island in the past six months, which work for the joint signing of the referendum with the accountability quota set for their DPP functionaries. Chen Shui-bian regime has capitalized on demagogy, popular slogans and big demonstrations to agitate the "tide", create the atmosphere, and to hoodwink, confuse and "kidnap" locals with the use of its demagogic slogans.
"Referendum," a vital step to push ahead "Taiwan Independence"
Chen Shui-bian has pressed ahead with "de jure Taiwan independence" in a planned, steady manner ever since he came to power seven years ago. The "referendum on entry to UN" constitutes one of the main avenues for "Taiwan independence" forces to "seek independence and resist the reunification (of the motherland)". DPP manipulates the mobilization of general public and has worked desperately to materialize its schemes since it assumed office in 2000.
The Referendum Law was enacted in 2003, allowing Taiwan to hold its first island-wide referendum in 2004 and the right to hold referendum was enshrined in the "constitution" in 2005. After 2006, the Chen Shui-bian authority pressed onward to enshrine the right for referendum into the constitution. When the "de jure" independence plot was foiled in the course of "constitutional amendment", Chen switched to a planned referendum on United Nations membership and went ahead with the process of going in for "de jure Taiwan independence."
The United Nations is an international organization that only recruit sovereign states. The present bid of the Chen Shui-bian regime for UN membership under the name of Taiwan is, nevertheless, intended to carry away the popular will of people and to alter the status quo that there is only one China in the world and both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to the same one China; it is also a crucial step of the regime to directly seek "de jure Taiwan independence".
Consequently, Chen Shui-bian's referendum on the entry to UN has simply given "Taiwan independence forces" a shot to greatly activate their illusion of Taiwan independence through the means of "referendum".
In a drastic contrast with their sheer illusion, DPP has in fact been subjected to more and graver oppositions and warnings globally rather than sympathy and support. The government of the United States has aggravated rebuttals and warnings against it step by step. "It is a 'mistake' and 'a step toward declaration of independence of Taiwan, towards an alteration of the status quo,'" the US government said firmly and abruptly. Meanwhile, Russia, Japan and many other countries, too, have voiced their opposition to the "referendum", and are continuing to keep to the One-China policy. The referendum of Chen Shui-bian regime, as a matter of fact, has come to the end of its tether.
The government and people of China are more determined not to let any force cede Taiwan from the motherland, and the referendum of Taiwan authority on entry to UN is bound to fail as it acts against the mainstream popular sentiments inside Taiwan province, against the growth of the cross-strait relations and against the general trend in the present international situation.
By Wu Yi with the Institute of Taiwan Studies affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and translated by People's Daily Online
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