Posted on 09/18/2007 10:38:25 PM PDT by kevin_in_so_cal
Taiwan will make yet another attempt to become a member of the United Nations on Wednesday.
A key UN committee will decide whether to even allow a debate on Taiwan's application to take place.
But the request is likely to be defeated, just as the island's 14 previous attempts have been.
Taiwan has long sought recognition as a UN member in its own right but China, which still claims Taiwan as a province, is fiercely opposed to this.
The dispute goes back to 1949 when Taiwan and China split amid civil war.
Demonstrations
Taiwan became the stronghold of the nationalists, while the mainland became the Communist People's Republic of China.
However, Taiwan held China's seat at the UN until 1971 when it was transferred to the Beijing-based government.
Earlier this year, Taiwan's application to join the UN was rejected yet again on legal grounds because of that 1971 UN resolution giving Taiwan's seat to the People's Republic of China.
On Wednesday, a key UN committee will once again consider whether to allow discussion of Taiwan's membership.
But UN officials predict this move will be defeated.
About 250,000 people demonstrated in Taiwan on Saturday in support of the UN membership bid. China has threatened to attack Taiwan if it declares independence.
Yet, Taiwan doesn't have a seat at the UN. Why?
Because back in 1971 we stabbed them in the back, kicked them out of the UN and gave the seat to China along with a Security Council veto that means China can stop almost any UN action they don’t like.
Taiwan is a free, independent nation and should be recognized as such by all other nations.
Taiwan stood up to the communists on the mainland, something we’ve been unable to find the backbone to do. No, we play footsie with the government responsible for 50 million deaths inside it’s borders alone, not to mention others in Southeast Asia. We do this to the exclusion of Taiwan. No we don’t come right out and talk down Taiwan yet, but we play footsie with a nation sworn to destroy it’s sovereignty.
We watch human rights abuses on the mainland, the PRC acts in unsocial ways with other nations and yet we honor it above long time friends.
China wishes to be the hegamon of the planet. We act as if we’re unable to discern this. We play along and watch as it lays foundations for future projects that will go against us.
This doesn’t speak well of the nation I used to respect a lot more than I do today. How I long for those days, and how it saddens me to see us cower to neighbors, concerns far away, and an entity that exists nowhere but on paper.
Taiwan must make it’s desires known. It must remain firm. And should we ever grow a spine again in relation to the PRC, we should back Taiwan all the way. It is a free sovereign society. That is something we used to value even at home.
Really?--Like Kosovo--I hope you can see my intimation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.