March 21, 1997

On behalf of the Democratic Progressive Party, I am honored to welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan. The Dalai Lama is more than a respected religious and spiritual leader of Tibet. He is a champion of global non-violence, and as we approach the 21st century, he is certain to be one of the world's most important visionaries of peace. So regardless of one's religious affiliation or political orientation, the arrival of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan is an occasion to be celebrated by all Taiwanese.

On the occasion of the Dalai Lama's visit to Taiwan, we are especially concerned about the situation of the Tibetan people. Under the Dalai Lama's leadership, the Tibetan government in exile has handled relations with China with wisdom, compassion, and responsibility. As such we fully support the Dalai Lama's five-point peace plan in resolving the problems of Tibet.

These include:

1. Transformation of the whole of Tibet into a zone of Ahimsa, demilitarized zone of peace and non-violence.

2. Abandonment of China's population transfer policy, which threatened the very existence of Tibetans as a people.

3. Respect for the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms.

4. Restoration of and protection of Tibet's natural environment and abandonment of China's use of Tibet for the production of nuclear weapons and dumping of nuclear waste.

5. Commencement of earnest negotiations on the future status of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Furthermore, based on the common pursuit of self-determination, human rights and democracy, over the years the Democratic Progressive Party has built close ties with the Tibetan people and representatives of the Tibetan government in exile. We have maintained a working relationship with Tibetan offices abroad and started to build trust and understanding between the Tibetan and Taiwanese people. Most recently, in respect of the Tibetan struggle for freedom, DPP-governed cities flew the Tibetan flag on March 10 this year, the anniversary of the Tibetan uprising.

However, despite our efforts to enhance relations between Taiwan and Tibet, the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) of the KMT government has done the contrary. Over the past few years, the DPP has received numerous complaints from Tibetans accusing MTAC of conducting "sinister," "anti-Tibetan" activities and disrupting the unity of the Tibetan community. For the KMT government, MTAC existed for merely three reasons:

1) To prop up the old myth that the KMT's sovereignty rule extended to China;

2) As a remnant of the outdated government bureaucracy; and

3) To aide the Tibetan and Mongolian people.

Yet MTAC has fulfilled none of these functions - the mythical territorial claims are unrealistic, preposterous, and a joke to the international community. Secondly, at a time when the National Development Conference consensus is to eliminate the province and downsize government bureaucracy, there is no reason for MTAC to continue to exist. Third, according to leading Tibetan organizations, MTAC has not only failed to aide the Tibetans, it has created misunderstanding and turmoil. There DPP therefore calls for the immediate abolishment of MTAC.

Another barrier to enhancing relations with Tibet is the KMT's inappropriate downgrading of the Dalai Lama's status during this visit. The Dalai Lama is an internationally-respected leader by all standards. His stature exceeds politics and religion, and respect for him goes across national borders. To even consider His Holiness the Dalai Lama a "local citizen of the Republic of China" is ludicrous and highly inappropriate. Rather, this visit must be seen as a major honor and accomplishment for Taiwan, to be handled with diplomatic sophistication.

On the map, Dharamsala appears far away from Taiwan, but we share a similar destiny. The Dalai Lama's thirty-eight years in exile, a result of war and invasion, tells stories of pain and suffering of the Tibetan people.

Likewise, in Taiwan we still live under the shadow and threat of war. As we enter into the 21st century, we must take this opportunity to learn from the Dalai Lama: Let us treat our enemies with compassion and resolve our differences through dialogue. Let us learn from the Dalai Lama his spirit of non-violence and his vision of peace! .