Tancredo Sends Joint Letter to Support Taiwan in UN

Congressman Tancredo's office was kind enough to alert me to a letter calling on Ambassador Bolton to support Taiwan's membership into the UN. Thanks for the notice and the letter, Congressman Tancredo....here's the press release:

++++++++++++++++

Tancredo Leads Bipartisan Effort Calling on Ambassador Bolton to Support Taiwan Membership in the U.N.

“Taiwan is not a local government of China,” - Tancredo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) in a letter today has asked United Nations Ambassador John Bolton to support membership in the United Nations for Taiwan . Congressmen Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), and Steve Chabot (R-OH) are joining Tancredo in pressing Bolton to support the island nations bid for membership.

“Taiwan is a stable, democratic presence in Asia, a bulwark of support for human rights and a world economic power, home to a thriving multi-party democracy with free and fair elections held at all levels of government,” said Tancredo, member of the House International Relations Committee. “It is, by all measures, a sovereign country – and it should be treated as such.”

Rohrabacher added, “ Taiwan is a free country ruled by freely elected people. The People’s Republic of China is run by a mafia of gangsters. Taiwan should be a member of the United Nations and the PRC should never have been let in.”

Tancredo cited that despite the fact that it is not a member-state, Taiwan has heeded calls by the U.N. for emergency relief and assistance to countries that suffer disasters and wars. Taiwan ’s generosity and humanitarian efforts have included aid for refugees in Kosovo, reconstruction in Afghanistan , food and supplies in Iraq , anti-AIDS efforts in Africa, help for victims of disasters in El Salvador , Turkey , Nicaragua , and even New York City in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“While the notion that the people in Taiwan are effectively represented by communist China might be politically convenient, no reasonable person in their right mind accepts this preposterous contention,” said Tancredo.

Tancredo and the other lawmakers also noted Bolton 's prior, outspoken support for full Taiwanese UN membership in the 1990's in making the plea.

"It is time we stood by our democratic principles and supported Taiwan ’s effort to gain membership in this world body," concluded Tancredo.

For a copy of the letter please visit Rep. Tancredo’s website at http://tancredo.house.gov/.

[Taiwan] [United Nations] [US Foreign Policy] [Taiwan Independence] [China]