Olympic Naming Rally Sets Stage for Taiwan Independence Vote

The planned referendum on whether to compete as Taiwan in the 2020 Olympics may be a test of support for an independence vote.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/10/22
By: Brian Hioe, 破土 New Bloom

Credit: Brian Hioe

The Formosa Alliance held a rally on Saturday afternoon outside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei in order to push for a referendum on which name Taiwan will participate under in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Formosa Alliance was formed by elder Taiwanese independence activists working together with younger activists inclusive of post-Sunflower Movement Third Force parties.

The referendum being pushed by the Formosa Alliance does not explicitly call for Taiwanese independence, just that Taiwan participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as “Taiwan” rather than “Chinese Taipei” or some variant thereof. This would be because, despite changes to the Referendum Act in December 2017 lowering the benchmarks needed to hold a nationwide referendum in Taiwan, referendums on the national status of Taiwan or constitution are still not allowed.

Yet while the Formosa Alliance may also hope to appeal to the social mainstream with this broader demand, the clear intent of organizers is to build towards a future referendum on Taiwanese independence.   [FULL  STORY]

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