Taiwan announces date for controversial UN referendum

Mar 12, 2008, 14:58 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan, defying intimidation from China and warnings from other countries, on Wednesday announced it would hold the referendum on joining the United Nations on March 22.

The Central Election Commission on Wednesday mailed the notices for the presidential election and the UN referendum - both held on March 22 - to the home of eligible voters.

The referendum asks: In 1971, the People's Republic of China (PRC) replaced the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan) in the UN, making Taiwan an international orphan. To raise Taiwan's international status, do you agree that the government should apply to join the UN under the name of Taiwan?

The notices carry an appendix, listing six reasons for joining the UN: such as 70 per cent of Taiwanese back joining UN, Taiwan as a sovereign country is entitled to join UN, and Taiwan can provide more aid to foreign countries if it joins the UN.

However, there will be two UN referendums on March 22 as the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) wants Taiwan to restore ROC's seat in the UN.

The Taiwan government has blasted the KMT's proposal as futile because the UN recognizes China as the sole legitimate representative of China and will not expel China to accept Taiwan.

So although the two UN referenda look like a drama to many Taiwanese, China views them as a move towards Taiwan's seeking formal independence from the Chinese mainland.

China has repeatedly threatened to take drastic action if the UN referendum goes ahead and has coerced dozens of countries into warning Taiwan that the UN referendum will disturb regional peace and stability.

President Chen Shui-bian has responded to China's warning by saying that it is the Taiwan's people's right to hold the UN referendum and China, which has never ruled Taiwan since 1949 - should mind its own business.

China and Taiwan split in 1949 when the ROC government lost the Chinese Civil War and fled to Taiwan to set up its government-in- exile.

Since Taiwan lost its UN seat to China in 1971, Taiwan's diplomatic allies have dwindled to only 23 mostly-small nations.

More than 170 countries recognize China but many of them maintain trade ties with Taipei.