MEDIA REACTION: BURMA, REBIYA KADEER AND THE UNITED STATES

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001171 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: BURMA, REBIYA KADEER AND THE UNITED STATES ¶1. Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused news coverage September 26-28 on the Ma Ying-jeou administration's decision to not allow World Uyghur Congress President Rebiya Kadeer to enter Taiwan; on the Yunlin County's legislative by-election, and on the referendum on opening casinos in Penghu. In terms of editorials and commentaries, on the issue of Burma, a column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" made positive comments about United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent announcement that the United States will engage with Burma in a bid to promote democratic reform. The column said that only by having exchanges with Burma can the United States change the country. Regarding Taiwan's decision to not allow Rebiya Kadeer to visit Taiwan, an editorial in the KMT-leaning, China-focused "Want Daily" claimed that the United States is no longer taking advantage of organizations which support East Turkistan independence to contain China because the United States needs China's support. The editorial called DPP politicians and the pro-independence "Liberty Times" "stupid" for promoting the idea of inviting Rebiya Kadeer to visit Taiwan. The editorial described her as being "just like a [sheet of] toilet paper thrown away by the United States after it was used." End summary. ¶2. Burma "The United States Eventually Straightening Out its Thinking and Changing its Policy toward Burma" Liang Tung-ping, a "China Times" correspondent in Southeast Asia, wrote in his column in the KMT-leaning "China Times" [circulation: 120,000] (9/26): "After attending the United Nations General Assembly and meeting with diplomats from many countries, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the United States will seek to have direct engagement with the Burmese junta in a bid to promote democratic reform there. The announcement signals a significant change in the United States' policy towards Burma. Certainly, it remains to be seen whether there will be concrete results. ... "If the United States really wants to engage Burma, a "rogue state," it must recognize the nature of [Burma's] rogue character, and try to make changes [in Burma] by not influencing [Burma's] fundamental interests. ... "Now, the ball is in the junta's court. [We have to] see how the junta is going to receive it and hit the ball back [to the United States]." ¶3. Rebiya Kadeer and the United States "Who Is Putting on Their Face Used Toilet Paper Thrown Away by the United States?" The KMT-leaning, China-focused "Want Daily" [circulation: 10,000] editorialized (9/28): "The Ma Ying-jeou administration decided not to allow [World Uyghur Congress President] Rebiya Kadeer to visit Taiwan. Some DPP politicians and media from the Green-camp constantly made an uproar and used a lot of specious arguments to criticize the Executive Yuan's decision. Moreover, [the DPP politicians and media from the Green-camp]'s usage of the relationship between Rebiya Kadeer and the United States as the case for [inviting her to Taiwan] has totally revealed their ignorance about international politics. In a more vulgar expression, these politicians [such as Rebiya Kadeer] who are abandoned after they have been taken advantage of are just like [sheets of] toilet paper thrown away by the United States. The Green camp is as stupid as it can be by holding [the toilet paper] in both hands and putting them on its face. ... "The attitude of being the adopted son of the United States held by some politicians in the Green camp and the "Liberty Times" was laid bare. On the one hand, they criticized mainland China for treating Taiwan as if it is Taiwan's suzerain. On the other hand, they regarded the cold-shouldered United States enthusiastically as the suzerain [of Taiwan]. Arguments such as ... 'Rebiya Kadeer is a U.S. green card holder and has international refugee status; and [she] was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress many times,' are used to prove that inviting Rebiya Kadeer [represents] the sublime values of freedom and democracy. "Does it mean that a U.S. green card holder cannot be a terrorist? The DPP should try to understand whether or not Rebiya Kadeer's activities and [contacts] in the United States are under the surveillance of the [United States'] Central Intelligence Agency or the Department of Homeland Security. Don't these [DPP] people have any idea how the United States takes advantage of resistance organizations in countries to serve the interests of the United States? So many times, the United States has taken advantage of organizations [supporting the independence of] East Turkistan and the Tibetan independence [movement] to contain mainland China. ... Now, the United States has its own needs on counterterrorism and wants to seek help from mainland China. The nature of the United States' relationship with the Xinjiang independence and Tibetan independence movements has changed. This is just like [how the United States] treated the Taliban regime in Afghanistan before. During the Cold War between the United States and the former Soviet Union, the United States gave money, personnel, and ammunition to the Taliban. Once the former Soviet Union collapsed, the two sides [the United States and the Taliban] became enemies. Now, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have become big problems for the United States counter-terrorism efforts instead. ..." STANTON