TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – For the 16th year in a row, the Taiwan United Nations Alliance (TAIUNA) will head to New York to lobby the international organization to recognize Taiwan, the group announced in a press conference on Tuesday (Sept. 3).
In addition to its usual message advocating Taiwan’s recognition, TAIUNA will also be raising awareness of the situation in Hong Kong to raise support for protesters resisting the Chinese Communist Party’s “one country, two systems” policy. TAIUNA members will also petition the UN to confront China’s human rights abuses in Tibet and East Turkestan (Xinjiang).
The UN General Assembly will convene for its 74th session from Sept. 17 through Sept. 24, with the floor open for general debate until Sept. 30. In the 10 days leading up to the Assembly, the TAIUNA delegation will campaign for greater awareness of Taiwan’s independence and encourage national delegations to support UN recognition of Taiwan.
While in New York, the group will also organize a public protest outside of the Chinese embassy. In addition to campaigning in New York City, the group’s trip will also include visits to Washington D.C. and Toronto, Canada.
TAIUNA has scheduled meetings with lawmakers in both the U.S. and Canada. The Liberty Times reports that members of the organization are also likely to meet with officials from the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense.
At Tuesday’s press conference, TAIUNA Chairman Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) expressed confidence that more foreign partners than ever before support Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN and other international organizations. Tsai called on all supporters of Taiwan to speak out in favor of Taiwan’s participation in the UN ahead of this year’s general assembly.
Recently, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu admonished the UN for its unwillingness to confront undue Chinese influence in the organization and for continuing to exclude Taiwan and its population of 23 million people. Taiwan is a reliable and capable partner that is ready and willing to help the UN achieve its global initiatives, said Wu.
More details on TAIUNA’s trip to North America can be found at TaiwanJustice.net (Mandarin).
