Thai Chinese Communities Slam 'Referendum of Taiwan Independence'

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, August 06, 2002

Thai Chinese Communities Slam 'Referendum of Taiwan Independence'

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Chinese communities in Thailand unanimously condemned the demand for a referendum for "Taiwan independence" made on Aug. 3 by Chen Shui-bian, leader of the Taiwan authority. "Whoever plays with fire will get burnt," they warned.

"Actually, this is a copy of the state-to-state statement masterminded by Chen's predecessor Lee Teng-hui, and its real aim is to realize the conspiracy of 'Taiwan independence' and split China," Boonsong Srifuengfung, chairman of the Thai Chinese Chamber of Commerce, told Xinhua during an interview Tuesday.

On Saturday, in a widely-criticized speech to an overseas Taiwanese association in Tokyo, Japan, Chen called for "a referendum on Taiwan's future and destiny on an appropriate occasion" and stated that "Each side is a country," and Taiwan would "walk down its own road."

"The speech shows clearly that Chen totally neglects the commonwish of the 23 million Taiwan people for peace and national reunification, and gambles on the fate of all Taiwan people," noted Boonsong, an eminent local Chinese community leader.

He reiterated that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and reunification of the Chinese nation is a deep-rooted belief sharedby all Chinese people including those living overseas.

"Any attempt to reverse the mega-trend of history is doomed to fail. And so does any conspiracy for 'Taiwan independence' and dividing China," he said.

On Monday, the World Chinese Unity Center of Thailand (WCUC), alocal overseas Chinese association supporting China's peaceful reunification, convened an urgent session in denouncing Chen's infamous speech.

WCUC Chairman Wang Zhi-ming said any attempt to split China will not be tolerated.

"Chen Shui-bian has been continuously producing all kinds of ' Taiwan independence' rhetoric, but none of these will be accepted by overseas Chinese," he said.

WCUC Political Advisor Zhang Jie-ding pointed out that all overseas Chinese firmly support China's reunification course and hope the goal will come true as early as possible.

"We Thai Chinese strongly oppose the 'Taiwan independence' theory and all others which attempt to split China," he said.

Participants of the session warned that Chen should think carefully before he speaks next time to avoid becoming "a nationalsinner condemned through the ages."

Meanwhile, an editorial of the Asian Daily, a local Chinese language newspaper, on Monday compared Chen's speech to a "quasi-declaration for Taiwan independence," which, in fact, was "political blackmail" in that it was taking hostage the lives and fortunes of all Taiwan people.

"It is quite worrying that some Taiwan people are currently befooled by Chen and his collaborators," it said.

"However, Chen cannot decide the future of the Taiwan people and even his own," said the editorial.

Despite his public clamor for "Taiwan independence," Chen's latest shameful speech exposed "his own guilty conscience when being surrounded by both domestic and external crisis," it concluded.

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