President Chen Shui-bian said Taiwan will press ahead with a referendum on whether the self-ruled island should apply for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan, dismissing U.S. objections as appeasement of China, said a recent article in the Washington Post. Taiwan's 14 previous attempts to be recognized by the UN have failed, but this time Taiwan is getting support from rock legend Ozzy Osbourne.
Ozzy Osbourne, a satanic-theme rocker known for biting heads off bats on stage, is helping set up 20 U.S. gigs and paying some transport costs to help a Taiwan band promote Taiwan's recent move for U.N. membership (see here). The band, named ChthoniC, will travel to at least 80 cities in four countries by the end of the year, supported in part by the Taiwan government, which is providing pro-U.N. literature and a slogan-painted truck.
"I'm not for any political party, but I'm for my poor country's joining the United Nations," said band lyricist Freddy Lim at the tour's launch. He added that the band hooked up with Osbourne through personal connections and Osbourne supports the band promoting Taiwan as it wishes.
China blocks self-ruled Taiwan's applications every year because it sees the island as part of its territory and not a separate country. The two sides split after civil war in 1949, and Taiwan was forced out of the United Nations in 1971 under Chinese pressure. The United States currently follows a "one China" policy that recognizes Taiwan as part of mainland China. However, Washington still encourages the sale of defensive weapons to Taiwan, and, in 2002, President Bush pledged to "help Taiwan defend itself if provoked," said an article entitled, Taiwan Diplomats Get Little Recognition.
The United States, under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, has pledged to aid Taiwan in defending against any attack by China. It is unclear whether this would mean military intervention, but with the war in Iraq consuming attention in Washington, the Bush administration is undoubtedly eager to avoid having to face such a choice. Beijing carefully watches all moves Taiwan makes in Washington. China claims Taiwan as its own and has repeatedly threatened to attack should the island formalize its de facto independence; it opposes anything that appears to give Taiwan the trappings of sovereignty.
Please see our previous post entitled, The UN Should Recognize Taiwan's Right to Representation, for more about Taiwan's right to be recognized as an independent state by the countries of the world.
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