DEFEATISM:Taiwan UN Alliance secretary-general William Lo said assuming that there is no way the nation will win membership is playing into the hands of Beijing

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 09, 2017
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should more proactively pursue participation in the UN, including applying for full membership, Taiwan UN Alliance members said yesterday before setting off on an annual lobbying tour in the US.

More than 20 members of this year’s delegation gathered in prayer, led by alliance secretary-general William Lo (羅榮光), a former general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan who founded the organization 14 years ago after the nation failed to receive timely support from the WHO during the SARS epidemic.

“What the government cannot do, we can do loudly, and we will resolutely push for Taiwan’s entry into the UN,” alliance president Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) said, criticizing what he called the ministry’s lack of proactive and “positive” action.

While some have called for President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to resurrect former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) annual push for UN membership, ministry officials last week said that they intend to pursue a “moderate” path toward greater participation in UN-related organizations, such as the World Health Assembly, instead of applying for formal membership.    [FULL  STORY]