VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0331 0710947
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110947Z MAR 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8323
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 7917
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9171

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000331 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S UN REFERENDA, DALAI LAMA AND 
TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news 
coverage March 11 on the upcoming presidential poll and the UN 
referenda, on the televised policy discussion between the two vice 
presidential candidates Monday, and on the baseball game between 
Taiwan and Canada in the 2008 Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 
Taichung Monday.  All local papers also reported on a Taiwan Central 
Election Commission announcement Monday saying that none of the 
presidential candidates or their running mates has either U.S. or 
Japanese nationality.  In terms of editorials and commentaries, an 
editorial in the pro-independence "Liberty Times" urged the voters 
to cast their referendum ballots for Taiwan's UN membership.  An 
editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, English-language 
"China Post," on the other hand, discussed the Dalai Lama's recent 
call for a "middle path" of more autonomy for Tibet.  The article 
said the Dalai Lama's call is a sensible one, as he knows more than 
anybody else that Tibetan independence is impossible.  End summary. 
 
¶2. Taiwan's UN Referenda 
 
"Vote for Taiwan -- No One Should Be Absent from Casting the 
Referendum Ballots on [Taiwan's] UN Membership" 
 
The pro-independence "Liberty Times" [circulation: 720,000] 
editorialized (3/11): 
 
"... It must be borne in mind that if the referenda to join or 
re-join the UN fail to pass [the threshold of percentage of voters] 
just because of external force, we will suffer intervention of [a 
similar] external force when we want to decide on our own destiny in 
the future.  In particular, China will know the trick by then and 
will try harder to intervene.  This is because the success in 
suppressing Taiwan's referenda this time will mislead 
ill-intentioned China to believe that the Taiwan people will abandon 
their insistence on Taiwan-centric values and let others do whatever 
they want to the island, as long as Beijing continues imposing 
pressure on Taiwan and the international community. 
 
"Everyone must recognize clearly today that the success of the UN 
referenda will by no means indicate the success of any particular 
political party; rather, it is where Taiwan's destiny hinges.  In 
substance, the move not to pick up the referendum ballots means that 
one is against Taiwan, not the referenda themselves.  Once the KMT 
comes up with a bad decision of [calling on its supporters] not to 
pick up the referendum ballots, it will be akin to revealing [to the 
public] that it had deceived in proposing the referendum to re-join 
the UN, whereas its real intent was to oppose Taiwan.  [Should this 
be the case,] the voters will reject the KMT with scorn -- a 
development that the KMT surely will not welcome. 
 
"Externally speaking, the referenda to join or re-join the UN are 
aimed at expressing the Taiwan people's will to oppose China's 
annexation and to join the international community.  Internally, 
they are a major step to push for Taiwan becoming a normal country. 
It is safe to say that every Taiwan citizen has a responsibility as 
to whether the referenda will be passed.  For the sake of Taiwan and 
our descendants, the ruling and opposition parties should rise 
beyond the thinking of antagonism, and all our people should stand 
on the high ground of history and recognize clearly the profound 
impact of the referendum results [on Taiwan].  As the masters of 
this country, we must try our best to carry out our mission and let 
our descendants be proud of our anti-annexation movement." 
 
¶3. Dalai Lama and Tibetan Independence 
 
"The Dalai Lama's Sensible Call" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (3/11): 
 
"Over 100 Tibetan exiles in India started a march to their homeland 
yesterday, as part of protests marking the Dalai Lama's escape from 
capture by the Chinese in 1959.  They hope to reach the undisclosed 
destination of their six-month trek in time to draw world attention 
to the Chinese occupation of Tibet as this year's Summer Olympics 
open in Beijing in August.  They want independence, a total 
separation from China that asserted sovereignty over Tibet in 1720. 
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader who was forced into exile in 
Dharamsala in north India, has long distanced himself from calls for 
independence.  He is pleading instead for a 'middle path' of more 
autonomy from China for Tibet. ...  His is a sensible call.  It is 
absolutely senseless to try the impossible.  The Tibetans have 
worldwide support for independence, but they have to take the next 
best choice: the Dalai Lama's middle path.  Taiwan's independence 
activists should look for a leader like the Dalai Lama." 
 
YOUNG