MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S UN REFERENDUM

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000116 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 REFERENDUM Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage January 24 on the Taiwan Cabinet, which is set to resign en masse today, four days ahead of schedule; on the March presidential poll and the UN referendum; and on the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest-rate cut Tuesday and its impact on the global stock markets. The pro-independence "Liberty Times" ran a news story on page six with the headline "[Taiwan's] Deputy Defense Minister Ko Cheng-heng: Taiwan Should Develop Cruise Missiles." In terms of editorials and commentaries, an editorial in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" slammed President Chen Shui-bian for the DPP's proposed UN referendum by spelling out some serious consequences for Taiwan should the referendum fail to pass in March. End summary. "A-Bian's Excretion" The mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 520,000] editorialized (1/24): "The UN referendum initiated and manipulated by A-Bian was initially meant to be bundled with the presidential election and not really aimed for Taiwan to enter the United Nations. It had drawn the KMT into playing the game by proposing a referendum for Taiwan to re-join the UN. Now there are two referenda, and both are doomed to failure. Frank Hsieh, who is unable to back down now, becomes an innocent victim [of the UN referendum]. But the consequences are more serious for Taiwan. There are several consequences [for Taiwan] should the UN referendum fail to pass: First, China will be able to speak loudly and convincingly in the international community for its moves to suppress Taiwan, because it is the Taiwan people who do not want to join the UN. China can even extend and interpret the development, claiming that, since the Taiwan people themselves believe that Taiwan is part of China, [Taiwan] does not need to join the UN. Such a theory can be backed up by figures [i.e. ballots cast in the referenda] and is thus very convincing. Second, the international powers that used to be sympathetic to Taiwan, such as the U.S. Congress, Japan's Diet and the European Parliament, will find it difficult to speak out for Taiwan any more, because the Taiwan people themselves have decided against the island's UN bid. Third, what is most embarrassing will be the [reaction of the] island's allies that have been proposing and supporting Taiwan's UN bid over the past decades. ... Fourth, Taiwan-centered awareness and Taiwan's determination to decide for itself will be severely traumatized, and the development will deal a heavy blow to Taiwan's confidence in its democracy. "Who is the originator of this detestable proposal? The answer is Chen Shui-bian. Just for the sake of campaigning and for his own legacy in history, he has treated the sacred practice of referenda as a gambling stake and a tool, putting his country into such an embarrassing predicament. Chen's move has also made Taiwan citizens feel uneasy about their right to referenda and done severe damage to his party's presidential candidate. What kind of a president would do such a stupid thing that will incur such serious consequences? ..." YOUNG