Nov. 27,1998---Kofi A. Annan, Hillary Rodham Clinton
Taiwan Tati Cultural
And Educational Foundation
B16F, No.3 Ta-Tun 2St.
Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
November 27, 1998.
Dear Mr. Kofi A. Annan,
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton,
China claims 20 million citizens died as a result of the 1937-45 war with Japan's Imperial Army. The 1937 Nanjing massacre killed 140,000 people, according to allied trials of Japanese war criminals.
Beijing had demanded Tokyo make a clear-cut statement over the suffering inflicted on Chinese during Japan's invasion. As Jiang said on his arrival, "a review of the past experience of the history of China-Japan relationship is of great significance."
In our view that demanded is all Chinese wish, we support the issue.
According to reports; Beijing had failed to persuade Tokyo to strengthen the isolation of Taiwan and the joint communique would simply "emphasize that Japan-Taiwan relations are not at government-to-government level."
The new statement would reaffirm a 1972 joint communique which says Japan understands and respects mainland China's position on Taiwan, regarded by Beijing as part of its territory.
At the human rights rally in central Tokyo, a statement distributed by Amnesty international Japan said it had written a letter to Obuchi urging him to encourage Jiang to improve rights.
The mainland Chinese leader's visit "is a great opportunity for the Japanese government to play a significant role in protecting human rights in the international community, particularly in Asia" it said.
Reports said; mainland Chinese authorities are holding more than 70 Protestant leaders in a crackdown on unofficial churches that has involved torture, a shooting and ransom like fines, a human rights group said on Nov. 25, 1998. The detained Protestants were leaders of so-called "house churches" --- groups that shun communist party-controlled state churches and worship underground --- and were rounded up early this month in central Henan province, human rights in China said.
In many ways, mainland China has signaled its openness to change, allowing a U.S. President to speak on state-run television, giving its citizens more freedom to travel and work as they choose, and signing human rights treaties.
At the same time, the government has expelled foreign reporters and imprisoned mainland Chinese journalists.
Behind the more open liberal fall, mainland China is fighting an information counter revolution, its state security apparatus used laws on secrecy and subversion to suppress information the ruling communist party dislikes and to lock up the messengers.
In mainland China, nearly all information that has not been published in the tightly controlled state media is regarded as classified. The government also set strict rules for foreign reporting, although enforcement is sporadic and arbitrary.
For mainland citizens, the stakes are much higher. The maximum penalty for violating the state secrets law is death.
A broad definition that makes it impossible to know what kind of information the authorities will view as sensitive.
The public was allowed to watch U.S. President Bill Clinton voice his views about democracy on state---controlled television. In U.N. accords, the government has pledged to uphold basic civil, economic and social rights.
But mainland Chinese citizens who attempt to exercise those rights can find themselves in trouble.
About 40 pro-Taiwan independence activists from the Republic of China(Taiwan) staged a demonstration in front of the mainland President Jiang Zemin started his six-day state visit to Japan (Tokyo, Nov. 25, 1998)
The demonstrators, including dozens of ROC nationals residing in Japan, brandished posters and banners protesting mainland China's threats of force against Taiwan and its persistent diplomatic strangulation strategy against Taiwan.
The banners and posters read "protest China's suppression of Taiwan" "support one China, one Taiwan, and support Taiwan independence."
Mainland China has been pressing Japan to spell out in a joint statement to be signed during Jiang's Tokyo visit a so-called "three no's" policy regarding Taiwan
--- no support for Taiwan independence
--- no support for "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan"
--- no support for Taiwan's membership in international organizations which require statehood.
The "three no's" is invading Taiwan people's rights. Only Taiwan people have the right to say "yes" or "no". We feel delight in "Japan understands and respects mainland China's position on Taiwan", that "three no's" is of no work in Japan government, because of Japan has no legitimate right to address issues related to Taiwan's status quoting the 1945 Potsdam Declaration, and the San Francisco Peace Treaty.
Numata also reaffirmed the continuity and consistence of Japanese policy toward Taiwan, stressing that the Japanese government has no intention of adjusting the stance on Taiwan stated in the 1972 joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties between Japan and mainland China.
We heartily urge that any countries in our world respect Taiwan's democracy and interests of the 22.8 million people of Taiwan.
Taiwan need your support.
Sincerely Yours,
Yang Hsu-Tung.
President of
Taiwan Tati Cultural
And Educational Foundation
