Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 22:30:30 -0500
From: Rangzen@AOL.COM
To: Multiple recipients of list TSG-L
Dear TSG Members,
I just received this announcement from the Taiwanese Collegian. I believe that this group's next step is to ask Tibet Support Groups for endorsements. What do you think?
Larry Gerstein
Director, Int'l Tibet Independence Movement
----------------------------------------------------
For immediate release
From: Taiwanese Collegian (Oct/26/96)
person to contact: I Chung Lai
spokesperson, Taiwanese Collegian
Tel/Fax: 607-266-8843
E-mail: iclai@lns62.lns.cornell.edu
WWW address: http://schumann.isi.edu/tibet/
Taiwanese Collegian jointly calls on 1st wave of "Recognize Tibet" movement
Taiwanese Collegian and North American Taiwanese students are jointly calling on the attention of the Taiwan government to seize this historic moment and correct its mistaken territorial and sovereignty claim -- first, by recognizing the independent status of Tibet, second, by inviting His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan based on the status of two equal, sovereign states and third, by abolishing the "Mongolia Tibetan Affairs Commission" and normalizing the relations of Taiwan with Tibet government in exile.
Taiwanese Collegian takes the stand that Taiwan and Tibet are both the victim of the "One China Policy", and suffering the Chinese expansionist attitude. Taiwan and Tibet should build a strategic alliance against Chinese ambitions to absorb its neighboring countries by force. it's important for Taiwan to abandon the unearthy claim of Tibet territory, which is the anachronistic vestiges of its past authortarian dictatorship, by abolishing the "Mongolian Tibetan Affair Commissions", recognizing Tibet government in exile as the sole representative of Tibet and establish the official diplomatic relations with Tibet government in exile. Taiwan should also play an active role in the international human right campaign for Tibet and publicly condemn China on its human right violation of Tibet in particular.
This statement goes in the spirit of "safeguarding Taiwan Democracy, March 22 manifesto", the statement for March 22 worldwide candle light vigil. It has already got over 26 campuses endorsement. This statement also marks the first time the young generation Taiwanese publicly express their position regarding world affairs other than Taiwan, also is the biggest movement since Mar/22 worldwide candle light vigil for Taiwan democracy.
This statement will be handed to Tibet government in exile international relations department and several high ranking officials of Tibet government in exile. A joint declaration of Taiwanese and corresponding Tibetan organization is expected on Nov/3 rally for Tibet in Time square, New York City.
For more information, please contact I Chung Lai
607-266-8843
iclai@lns62.lns.cornell.edu
1079 warren Rd #1
Ithaca NY 14850
WWW address: http://schumann.isi.edu/tibet/
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Ref:1 Statement
Recognition of Tibet Is Starting Point for Solidifying Taiwan's Sovereignty
*** Taiwanese Collegian and Taiwanese-North American students are jointly calling on the attention of the Taiwan government to seize this historic moment and correct its mistaken territorial and sovereignty claim -- first, by recognizing the independent status of Tibet and second, by inviting His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan based on the status of two equal, sovereign states. Our statement follows.
(1) Taiwan and Tibet should help each other.
The Tibetan people have continued their brave struggle against China's invasion for over 40 years. Tibet surely qualifies as an independent sovereign nation -- whether from a historical or cultural point of view, or from the perspective of the Tibetans' will for self-determination. Tibet, as well as Taiwan, are both victims of the "one China" policy. Taiwan should work with Tibet in fighting against Chinese imperialistic expansionism and the accompanying "one China" propaganda. Taiwan and Tibet should also build a strategic alliance against Chinese ambitions to absorb its neighboring countries by force.
(2) The recognition of Tibet is a necessary condition for Taiwan to gain its own international recognition.
The Taiwan authorities should take advantage of this rare opportunity to propose the official recognition of Tibet. The Taiwan government must correct its mistaken territorial claims over Tibet, which are anachronistic vestiges of its past authortarian dictatorship. For Taiwan to gain the international recognition it deserves, it is important to first abolish the territorial and sovereignty claims it has made in the past. The world will never accept a Taiwan which still possesses expansionist claims over Tibet, as a part of the international community.
The recognition of Tibet is not only consistent with international justice, but it is a necessary condition for Taiwan to be brought into the international community. Our pursuit of international recognition will also be justified through our official recognition of Tibet.
(3) Abolish the Mongolian-Tibetan Affairs Commission and normalize Taiwan-Tibet relations.
The practical way to recognize Tibet starts from abolishing the "Mongolian-Tibetan Affairs Commission" and establishing official diplomatic ties with the Tibet government-in-exile. All later affairs with Tibet should be treated as official governmental relations. Taiwan should also work with Tibet to oppose the "one China" policy propaganda on such issues as the United Nations membership campaign.
We also express our strongest disagreement with the Taiwan authority on the issue of the visit of the Dalai Lama. We demand the Taiwan government to grant the visit of the Dalai Lama on the status of a national leader. To treat the visit of the Dalai Lama as anything less is not only an insult to the six million Tibetan people and arrogance toward Tibet's socio-cultural conditions, but it is also an appeasement of China's imperialist regime.
(4) Taiwan should be an active member of the international human rights campaign for Tibet.
The past 40 years of the Tibetan struggle for human rights has been embraced by the international community. Recently, China has officially threatened to wipe out the Tibetan people over the possible Taiwan visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We call this to the attention of the Tibetan and Taiwanese people worldwide and demand that the Taiwan government respond by publicly condemning the Chinese.
If we let the Chinese get away with its human rights violations in Tibet today, Taiwan will very possibly face the same situation tomorrow. The Taiwan government should build strong cooperative relations with Tibetan officials on human rights issues. Taiwan's expressions of its sincere concerns over the human rights issues of Tibet will demonstrate to the world that Taiwan is a country that stands up for the basic principles of freedom and dignity and hence merits international recognition.
Taiwanese Collegian
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Ref.2 lists of endorsement organizations
1 Taiwanese Collegian (TC)
2 Univ. of Kansas (Taiwanese Student Association)
3 Texas A&M Univ. (Taiwanese Student Association)
4 Univ. of Pennsylvania (Taiwanese GAPSA)
5 Univ. of Minnesota (Minnesota Taiwanese Student Association)
6 Univ. of Southern California (Taiwanese Student Association)
7 Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison (Taiwanese Student Association)
8 Univ. of Missouri-Columbia (Taiwanese Student Association)
9 Univ. of Delaware (Taiwan Studies Society)
10 Univ. of Colorado-Denver and Boulder (Taiwanese Student Association)
11 California State Univ.-Fresno (Taiwanese Student Association)
12 Univ. of Oregon (Taiwanese Student Organization)
13 Emory Univ. (Taiwanese Student Association)
14 Univ. of Texas-Austin (Taiwanese Student Association)
15 Yale Univ. (Taiwan Forum)
16 Triangle Taiwan Club of North Carolina
17 SUNY-Binghamton (Taiwanese American Student Coalition)
18 Univ. of Iowa (Taiwanese Student Association)
19 Arizona State Univ. (Taiwan Study Society)
20 Taiwanese Student Association in the UK
21 Purdue Univ. (I Love Taiwan Club)
22 Branch College/CUNY (Taiwanese Study Club)
23 New School for Social Research (Taiwanese Student Group)
24 Princeton Univ. (Taiwanese American Students' Association)
25 Univ. of California-Berkeley (Berkeley Students for a Sovereign Taiwan)
26 Louisiana State Univ. (Taiwanese Student Association)
27 Syracuse Univ. (Taiwanese Student Association)
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Ref.3 some introduction of Taiwanese Collegian (TC)
Taiwanese Collegian (TC)
Our Purpose:
We are here to encourage Taiwanese students to care about Taiwan and help Taiwan become a free, equal, and democratic country. TC members share the view that the future of Taiwan should be determined by all the people living on Taiwan. This means no government or united international communities shall decide the Taiwan's political identity.
Introduction to Taiwanese Collegian:
Established in 1983, Taiwanese Collegian (TC) is the most organized and most well-connected organization among overseas students from Taiwan. It's also the largest non-government Taiwanese student organization.
TC holds its own political, social, and cultural activities and publicizes the events through periodic newsletters, magazines, and announcements. It also keeps its tie with the Taiwanese-American communities in the U.S. by helping various U.S.-based groups perform diplomatic tasks such as publicizing Taiwanese culture and pushing the awareness of Taiwan as an independent country.
To push the exchange of ideas between students in Taiwan and in America, we invite guest speakers from Taiwan to hold forum or give speeches on college campuses. We also help publicize events and activities sponsored by various progressive groups in Taiwan.
Currently, Our goals are
1) Encourage the cooperation among Taiwanese students in the United States
2) Train talents in preparation of building Taiwan as an independent country
3) Increase communications among new and old generations
We aim at researching and developing proposals for political, societal, and cultural reforms in Taiwan. We want to communicate the ideas of a new Taiwanese generation and to experience teamwork spirit through participating in the Taiwanese community events. Perhaps most importantly, we wish to communicate the importance of Taiwan through association with international media, academic groups, and communities.
TC is associated with different Taiwanese Students Associations on 45 college campuses in North America. The 45 campuses include 11 colleges in the northeast, seven in the southeast, three in the south, nine in the west, eight in the midwest, five in the central, and one in Canada. Most of the TC members are graduate and post-doctorate students.
The Activities We've Organized:
September, 1993: Protested before China's Embassy in Washington
D.C. against their official document titled "The
Taiwan problem and China's Unification."
March, 1994: Initiated "One person, One letter" protest
against the magazine National Geographic, who
misprinted Taiwan as a province of China in its
issue.
August, 1994: Organized a summer camp in Washington D.C. The
theme was "Evaluation and initiation of Taiwan's
independence movement and social movement."
October, 1994: Mobilized TC members to write letters-to-the-
editor to 50 newspapers in America; generated
support from the American communities to
support Taiwan using "Taiwan" to join the United
Nation.
December, 1994: Organized winter camp in Long Beach, California.
The theme was "Change and Opportunity--The
Restarting of overseas students organizations."
June, 1995: Mobilized members to protect Taiwan's
independent political power as President Lee
Teng-hui visited Cornell University
August, 1995: Co-organized "The First Diplomatic Personnel
Training class" in Washington DC with the
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
October, 1995: Planned the demonstration organized with "?"
Taiwanese Association; Announced to the
international committees that the Taiwanese
people are not willing to be controlled by China
while China's premier Jiang Ze-min participated
in the United Nation's Fifty Years Anniversary
activities.
December, 1995: Organized winter camp in Houston, Texas.
Assisted the preparation for the first
"Taiwanese Women Camp."
March, 1996: Initiated Vigil ceremony on March 22 (322)
around the world in protest of China's military
exercises near Taiwan's water during the
Presidential Election.
June, 1996: Participated in the planning and execution of
"622 Boycott on Made-in-China products"
Our Organization and Division of Labor:
Taiwanese Collegian (TC) is a umbrella group and grass-root student organization. So far, we have approximately fifty group members and 300 individual members. TC sponsors conference for members, conference for group members, and special committee.
The highest power level in TC is held in the Member's Conference. Member's Conference vote on committee members, amend TC Constitution, and vote on important agenda.
The Internal Affair Committee is the highest executive power. Committee members decide on general affairs by email or phone conferences. Committee members vote in the Member's Conference. The term for committee members is 2 years. Under the Committee there is financial, publication, organization training, external, e-mail, research and development, and information special committees.
We also divide the tasks of committee members by six geographic areas (east coast, west coast, south, southeast, midwest, and central regions) for the purpose of facilitating the development of grass-root movement.
In addition, we use e-mail to communicate with seven research and interest groups. These groups are: TW-Environment, TW-Women, TW-Diplomacy, TW-Study, TW-Culture, and TW-Aboriginal.
Our Publication:
In the 1980s, we published hundreds of newspaper issues titled Taiwanese Collegian. In the 1990s, we updated the Taiwanese Collegian and re-published it. So far, we've had 18 issues. Each issue prints 3,000 copies.
Also, TC publishes the "TC Members Updates" every other month and "The North America Taiwanese Students Movements" brochure every year."
Address:
Taiwanese Collegian
P.O.Box 535
Madison, WI 53701-0535, USA
E-mail: tc-com@engin.umich.edu
Person to Contact:
I Chung Lai
Spokesperson, Taiwanese Collegian
Tel/Fax: 607-266-8843
E-mail: iclai@lns62.lns.cornell.edu
