Americans have fear even of wheelchair-bound lady...

[jeffooi]

<font size="+1">These American buggers. They were rude our PM and DPM.
And now, their paranoia doesn't exclude a wheelchair-bound First Lady.

<font color="#FF0000">Are Americans anti-Muslims and anti-Asians?</font></FONT>


STRAITS TIMES Singapore
Thursday, October 24, 2002

<font size="+1">Taiwan in uproar over US check on First Lady</font>

TAIPEI - Taiwanese lawmakers yesterday accused US officials of humiliating the island's First Lady Wu Shu-chen by putting her through a security check during her landmark visit to the United States late last month.

<img src="http://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/99-Strasbourg.gif" align="left"> Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said Madam Wu, who uses a wheelchair, was checked with a metal detector at Washington's Dulles Airport before boarding a plane for Los Angeles.

The incident triggered a furore here yesterday, with opposition parties demanding that Foreign Minister Eugene Chien resign.

'Wu was humiliated although she hand-delivered a cheque to donate to the US anti-terrorist campaign,' said Mr Lee Chuan-chiao, lawmaker of the opposition Kuomintang.

He demanded that Mr Chien and Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the US, Mr Chen Chien-jen, take full responsibility and resign.

Vice-Foreign Minister Kau Ying-mao said 'the US government immediately apologised to us' over the event, which he said was caused by 'the poor communication between the US authorities and the personnel in charge of security checks at the airport'.

According to the China Times Express, US Secretary of State Colin Powell personally phoned President Chen Shui-bian shortly after the event to apologise.


Read the full story at:
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,150790,00.html


<font size="+1">Related thread:
<a href="http://www.usj.com.my/bulletin/upload/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1775"target="new">Must America treat our PM/DPM this rough and rude? </a>
<a href="http://www.usj.com.my/bulletin/upload/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2814"target="new">We’re all of us Muslim now </a> </font>

[jeffooi]

<FONT SIZE="+1">Obviously, there are apologists among the Taiwanese</font>


TAIPEI TIMES
Thursday, October 24th, 2002

Editorial:
<FONT SIZE="+1">Search of first lady exaggerated</FONT>


Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kao Ying-mao confirmed that the US apologized soon after first lady Wu Shu-chen was subjected to a security check at Washington's Dulles Airport during her recent US visit. Such a search, of course, goes against international diplomatic decorum.

But, since a timely apology was offered and the slip-up did not appear to have been made with malice, is the story really worthy of all the newspaper headlines and the almost around-the-clock TV reporting devoted to it?

...Security checks at US airports have been extremely tight in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Wu was not singled out for any demeaning treatments. For example, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said that he was asked to take off his shoes and belt during an airport security check. Reportedly, even former US vice president Al Gore and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad were also subjected to personal checks. Apparently, in this war against terrorism, the gap between ordinary citizens and VIPs has been narrowed in some ways.

It is time for people to realize that, under the threat of terrorism, life simply doesn't go on the way it has in the past.


Read the full story at:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/24/story/0000176914

[jeffooi]

www.chinapost.com.tw
2002/10/24

First lady was body-searched at Washington airport: MOFA
The China Post staff


...A State Department official was quoted as remarking only that Mrs. Chen made a private visit to the United States from September 19 through 29 and her itinerary included stopovers at New York, Washington and Los Angeles.

Airport security guards conducted a metal detector check on the first lady as she and her entourage were on their way to boarding a Los Angeles-bound flight, the Taipei press reported.

The guards further demanded the wheelchair-bound Wu to take off her shoes for a body search, drawing breach of diplomatic protocol.

The first lady later boarded the plane without body search after intervention by U.S. officials, the local news reports added.

Upon learning of the incident, Powell immediately called President Chen to make an apology, the reports said.

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman blamed the diplomatic protocol breach on the private contractors the U.S. government hired to handle airport security work.


The representative to Washington, Chen Chien-jen, reportedly offered to resign shortly after the incident, but was asked to stay on.

But opposition lawmakers cried foul...

"The incident has hurt the feelings of the ROC people," said Kuomintang legislative whip Lee Chuan-chiao. "The Foreign Ministry was obviously at fault, and Eugene Chien and Chen Chien-jen must step down at once."

KMT Legislator Chu Fong-chi blasted the U.S. anti-terrorism measures as discrimination against Middle Easterners and Asians.

She disclosed that Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng had to take off his shoes and belt for a security check during his summer trip to America.

But Wang later revealed that he was not body-searched during the trip and said he did not feel offended by what he called a necessary security check.

KMT Chairman Lien Chan met with a similar demand for a body search at a European airport while he was premier, according to reports, but he firmly rejected.

Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou said that during a trip to the United States, while he was justice minister, American airport security guards found that he was carrying a Swiss Army knife.

Ma reportedly embarrassed the guards after they asked him why he was carrying the knife and he responded that he carries one whenever he goes to a place where a crime rate is high.


Read the full story at:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/detail.asp?ID=31666&GRP=B

[great]

http://english.cri.cn/mmsource/images/2008/01/13/4084taiwan.jpg
Former Kuomintang (KMT) party chairman MaYing-jeou (2nd R) bows with party officials during the Taiwan"legislature" elections at the KMT headquarters in Taipei January 12,2008. [Photo: taihainet.com]



Kuomintang win legislative election
Kuomintang 81 seats around 3/4 seats
Democratic Progressive Party only 27 seats, Chen Shui-bian resigns DPP chairman for failure in "legislature" election

the coming soon general election,I think Dr Ma Ying-jeou(Kuomintang president candidate ,former Kuomintang Chairman,Taipei mayor) will be the 11th president of Republic of China,the cross Strait relations will be better in future.Should be maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan strait.


Taiwan: Pro-China Party May Gain Majority In 12 Jan Election (http://www.mysinchew.com/node/5532)


Taiwan Opposition KMT party win Parliamentary elections (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/taiwan-opposition-kmt-party-win-parliamentary-elections_10012652.html)



KMT shows humility, eyes 2nd win in presidential race (http://www.chinapost.com.tw/news/2008/01/13/138801/KMT-shows.htm)


Chen warns against KMT win in polls (http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=583099&lang=eng_news&cate_img=83.jpg&cate_rss=news_Politics_TAIWAN)



DPP suffers landslide defeat in Taiwan "legislature" election, Chen Shui-bian resigns chairman (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/12/content_7411818.htm)



Taiwan nationalists in huge win (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7184448.stm)

[USJ27Resident]

One word.... PARANOIA.

Try making a fuss on arrival... you get a turnstile treatment at the immigration services on arrival. meaning= they would refuse you entry and a one-way ticket OUT! No explanation necessary...

If you are flagged just ONCE by the INS on arrival... be prepared to be pulled aside to sit and wait to be processed, interviewed and subjected to a 'routine' VISIT check every freaking time you enter that stupid country!! :mad:

When you 'check out' from that country, you would have to UNLOCK all your check in luggage for a physical check where you would get to SEE the TSA agents rummage through your personal belongings and whatnots to see if you are carrying anything of a threat in your lugggage... Make a fuss... and you would get DETAINED... and that would be the last you see of your luggage!

If anything gets lost/missing in the process of inspection - HARD LUCK!

Sometimes makes you wonder... would there be so much trouble in the world without the UNITED STATES !!!

[isarahim]

I can't see the point in posting this here. Nothing to do with Malaysian politics.

[blurrman]

this is a year 2002 post

[tupai]

if the pot of **** is stinky...why still wanna play with it?

if usa is such a piece of ****...why still wanna go there?

if i rode a small bike...why wanna fight a 4wheel tincan? :eek:

Yang Ada Banyak USAha diWC lato tupai

[tkahyap]

sheesh..so old post..someone delete it pls..

[great]

Counting begins in Taiwan presidential vote


Counting began Saturday in Taiwan's crunch presidential election with voters choosing between the pro-independence ruling party chief or an opposition rival who has vowed closer ties to China.
Analysts said voters were likely to focus on concern over the slowing pace of the economy as well as hopes of a rapprochement with China following eight years of recurring tensions under outgoing President Chen Shui-bian.
Ma Ying-jeou, the Harvard-educated candidate of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), was installed as favourite against Frank Hsieh, head of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Polling stations closed at 4:00pm (0800 GMT) and official results were due within a few hours.

Turnout was brisk and the electoral commission said it expected around 75 percent of the 17.3 million eligible voters to cast their ballots.

People were also asked to vote on two simultaneous referendums on joining the United Nations, although they may not get the required 50 percent turnout that would make them count.

After casting his ballot in a Methodist church building in Taipei, Ma said he felt confident and calm, and promised to engage with China, which insists the self-ruled island is part of its territory.

He added: "We want to normalise the trade and investment relationship with the mainland as we have done with other parts of the world."

It meant opening transport links and allowing Taiwan's financial services industry access to the mainland market, as well as seeking proper investment guarantees and a double taxation agreement, he told reporters.

China and Taiwan have had virtually no direct links since the island split from the mainland in 1949 after a civil war.

"I have always said that, if I get elected, I will engage the mainland on many issues, but I will protect Taiwan's identity and also its security," he said.

"Taiwan is not Tibet. Neither is it Hong Kong. We will keep this country running as it is."

Speaking earlier in the southern city of Kaohsiung, Hsieh said he was tired after an exhausting campaign.

Quizzed about how sure he was of victory, he spread his arms out wide. "I have this much confidence," he smiled.

China's military crackdown in Tibet has allowed Hsieh to attack Ma's plan for an economic common market and peace treaty with China, but it appeared to have cut little ice.

Voters questioned by AFP said their key concern was the economy.

Shih Han-kuang, a 44-year-old construction company boss who backed Hsieh's DPP in the previous two presidential votes, said that was more important than Tibet or closer ties with China.

"Taiwan used to have strong economic competitiveness but now that is gone, and we are lagging behind the other Asian 'tigers,'" he said.

"What is happening in Tibet is too far from me and I am not interested in one-China or common market, I just want a better life," agreed Chen Che-yu, as he ran off after voting to his job as a waiter in a fast food restaurant.

China still claims Taiwan for itself and has threatened an invasion if it declares independence, confining the US-allied island to a murky limbo of de facto but unrecognised sovereignty.

Ma is more aggressive in proposing a radical overhaul of economic ties to allow Taiwanese companies access to the vast mainland market while permitting Chinese investors to pump funds into the economy here.

He hopes to exploit the same malaise that propelled the KMT to a sweeping victory over the DPP in January's parliamentary elections.

Hsieh also favours closer ties but is more cautious, warning Ma's plan may engulf Taiwan with Chinese money and labourers.

The island is the world's 17th largest economy, mainly on the back of its information technology sector, but is losing jobs and investment to mainland China. Incomes are stagnant and the gap between rich and poor is widening.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/AfpNews/200803221716091206177369.15/afp

[great]

Long road ahead before peace between Taiwan and China

By Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI (Reuters) - An end to the more than half a century of hostility and tension between Taiwan and China may be in the offing with the election of a more China-friendly president for the island, but progress will be slow and tortuous.

The opposition Nationalist Party's Ma Ying-jeou won in a landslide on Saturday against an opponent who had tried to use recent bloody protests in Tibet to scare people into not voting for Ma.

The Democratic Progressive Party's Frank Hsieh said Taiwan risked becoming another Tibet if Ma, with his more pro-China views, won.

Though that strategy backfired, Ma now has to try and reach out to China, but without being seen to compromise Taiwan's security.

"They (China) remain the greatest security threat," Ma told a news conference on Sunday. "Taiwan's identity has to be respected, and we have to negotiate with each other on equal footing.

"What I can promise voters is that we will not negotiate the issue of unification and we will not support de jure independence," he added, speaking in fluent English. "And we will oppose the use of force across the Taiwan Strait."

But Ma said he would not consider talking peace with China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own, until Beijing removes missiles aimed at Taiwan.

The two sides have been run separately since 1949, when defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan at the end of a civil war. China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

Despite that, economic ties are close, and Taiwanese companies have invested billions of dollars in China, drawn by low costs and a common language and culture. China is also Taiwan's biggest trading partner.

Yet there are still no direct flights allowed across the narrow Taiwan Strait, aside from limited charter services.

"Voters hope that Ma will help cross-Strait relations to return to normal and that both sides can see a win-win solution," said Jeff Lin, associate dean of the Institute For Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at National Taiwan University.

"But this will be his biggest challenge, because cross-Strait relations take a lot of negotiation and Taiwan does not have the people who will be able to do that. Therefore we could be at a disadvantage," Lin added.

ARMED TO THE TEETH

The state of war between the two sides still exists, as no peace treaty has ever been signed. Taiwan is armed to the teeth, mainly with U.S. weapons, and China is rapidly modernising its military to close the technology gap.

Chinese President Hu Jintao offered earlier this month peace talks, under the so-called "one China" principle, which contends the island and the mainland are part of a single sovereign country, a concept Taiwan's current government has rejected.

In a move sure to infuriate Beijing, Ma said he'd be happy to meet Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who China has accused of masterminding the violence in Tibet.

So Ma may concentrate on the easier aspects of dealing with China, such as practical issues like the ban on direct links, rather than far thornier political problems. And he will have to prioritise Taiwan's pressing domestic economic issues.

"In the near future we can expect direct flights and tourism. But a peace agreement isn't so easily possible. Our national development is a new priority," said Chao Chien-min, professor at Taipei's National Cheng Chi University.

And don't expect dramatic progress this year, said Bruce Jacobs, Asian Studies professor at Australia's Monash University.

"At the end of 2008 I wouldn't expect any breakthroughs with China. The Chinese don't think it's in their interest unless they get their one China," he said.

"To be nice to China and expect China to be nice back is not going to work."

But in a gesture of friendship to Beijing, Ma said he would accept two pandas offered by China to the island three years ago and rejected by the then-ruling DPP.

(Additional reporting by Ralph Jennings and Sheena Lee)

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/23/worldupdates/2008-03-23T110338Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-326327-2&sec=Worldupdates

[great]

Decisive victory for Ma Ying-jeou
FIRST ON THE AGENDA: Ma, who has promised to strike a peace deal in a bid to end decades of cross-strait tension, called on China to dismantle its missiles aimed at Taiwan before the two sides can engage in peace talks
By Mo Yan-chih, Ko Shu-ling and Shih Hsiu-chuan
STAFF REPORTER, WITH AGENCIES
Sunday, Mar 23, 2008, Page 1

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his running mate Vincent Siew(蕭萬長)scored an overwhelming victory in yesterday's fourth direct election for president, taking nearly 60 percent of the vote to defeat Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Frank Hsieh(謝長廷) and his vice presidential candidate Su Tseng-chang(蘇貞昌).

The result saw the KMT sweep back into power after eight years in opposition.

Voting, which took place between 8am and 4pm, was peaceful, with no reports of clashes at the 14,401 polling stations across the nation.

A total of 13,221,609 people voted in the election, a turnout of 76.33 percent of the 17,321,622 registered voters. There were 117,646 invalid votes.

The KMT ticket won 7,658,724 votes, or 58.45 percent of the ballots, with the DPP pair garnering 5,445,239 votes, or 41.55 percent.

The KMT enjoyed a swing of more than 10 percent of the vote in Taichung, Miaoli and Nantou counties, with northern counties and cities -- traditional bases of support for the KMT -- tending to have higher swings than the southern electoral districts. Taipei County and Taoyuan County -- key electorates because of their large populations -- punished the DPP with swings of 7.99 percent and 9.32 percent respectively.



The two referendums on entry to the UN -- the DPP's on entering the UN under the name "Taiwan" and the KMT's on returning to the UN using the country's official title, "Republic of China," or any other title that upholds the nation's dignity -- both failed to garner enough votes, falling short of the 50 percent turnout required for their results to be valid.

The CEC announced the official results at 9.30pm.

Speaking to supporters from behind a bulletproof screen following his win, Ma called the results a victory for hope and an expression of the nation's desire for change.

"This is a victory for people who hope for change and openness and reform, to march forward," he said. "This election result is not a personal result, nor a victory for the KMT, it is a victory for all Taiwanese people."

"Your voices are heard. People have the right to demand a better life. Only change can bring hope, only change can provide opportunities," he said.

Party supporters let off firecrackers and fireworks, while DPP supporters shed tears.

Hsieh, meanwhile, talking to supporters across town, said: "We accept defeat. It's my own defeat, it's not the defeat of the Taiwanese people. Please don't cry for me."

"Although we lost the election, we have a more important mission. The torch of democracy should not be extinguished," Hsieh said.

Ma will formally take over on May 20, when President Chen Shui-bian(陳水扁) steps down upon completing his second term in office.

Yesterday's win comes after the KMT clinched a more than two-thirds majority in legislative elections in January, giving it a clear mandate to push ahead with its policies to bolster an economy that has lagged behind some of its Asian peers.

Jeff Lin (林建甫), associate dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at National Taiwan University, said: "Ma's victory is a sign that the people of Taiwan want to see change in the economy and in government administration. Voters hope that Ma will help cross-strait relations return to normal and that both sides can see a win-win solution. But this will be his biggest challenge, because cross-strait relations require a lot of negotiations and Taiwan will not have people capable of doing that, so we could be at a disadvantage."

At a post-election press conference, Ma said he will seek to visit as many countries as possible before his inauguration on May 20, but added that he had no immediate plans to visit China.

Ma acknowledged there were obstacles in cross-strait relations, but vowed to begin normalizing economic relations immediately after his inauguration.

"Measures like direct air links and allowing mainland tourists to visit Taiwan will be my priorities, as some of the content is already negotiated and consensus has been reached," he said at his campaign office.

The "cross-strait common market" concept, Ma said, will be a relatively long-term goal.

Ma also promised to negotiate a peace agreement and the issue of international space with China, on the condition that China first removes the missiles it has targeting Taiwan.

On relations with Washington, Ma promised to make Taiwan a "responsible stakeholder" and a "peacemaker" in the region, and strengthen the nation's defense relations with the US by maintaining the defense budget at no less than 3 percent of the GDP and keeping up arms purchases with the US.

When asked to comment on his Cabinet, Ma said he will demand personal integrity from future members, and promised to seek cooperation from other parties.

Ma also promised to consider non-KMT members when appointing ministers for the Control Yuan, Examination Yuan and Judicial Yuan.

Ma said he had spoken with Hsieh after the election result, lauding his rival for his grace in defeat.

"I am touched that he asked his supporters not to make a stand against the election result. I thank him for his statesmanship," he said.

The failure of yesterday's referendums, meanwhile, means that out of six referendums held since 2004, none have managed to reach the threshold to be considered valid.

The DPP's referendum attracted 35.82 percent of voters, or 6,201,677 votes, with 5,529,230 affirmative votes, 352,359 negative votes and 320,088 invalid ballots cast, while the KMT's version garnered a total of 6,187,118 votes or 35.74 voter turnout. It received 5,686,369 positive votes and 724,060 negative ballots, while another 500,749 were invalid ballots.

The US, Russia and Britain were all sharply critical of the DPP's referendum ahead of the polls, calling it needlessly provocative and an attempt to alter the cross-strait "status quo."

Reflecting on the failure of the referendums, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) said yesterday failures would not impede Taiwan's determination to join the world body, as more than 80 percent of people in a recent survey agreed that Taiwan should apply for UN membership.

Shieh said that the threshold for eligible results and the KMT's effective boycott of the referendums were to blame for the failure.

"Setting such a high turnout threshold for a referendum to be valid is irrational. For example, even if 7 million voters cast `yes' votes, the referendum would still be considered invalid," Shieh said.

Shieh said the government regretted that the KMT had boycotted the referendums just because they were to be held in tandem with the presidential election.

"It's common in the world to hold referendums in conjunction with national elections," Shieh said.

Casting his ballot in Taipei City yesterday morning, Chen told reporters he hoped to see the people elect a national leader who would protect national sovereignty.

"I hope the new leader does not turn Taiwan into a second Hong Kong or Tibet," he said. "Nor do I want to see him turn Taiwan into a special administrative region of China or a place where China stages violent crackdowns."

With the election of a new leader, Chen said he hoped the person would lead the country on the right course and that infighting between those supporting and opposing him would end with the end of his term.

Chen also urged the public to support the referendums regardless of their political affiliation.

Former president Lee Teng-hui(李登輝), who cast his ballot in Taoyuan County, said that he expected the new leader to improve the economy, lower unemployment and cut tuition fees.

Lee did not pick up referendum ballots, which he said was because he forgot to bring his referendum slip.
This story has been viewed 2793 times.

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/03/23/2003406711

[yvonnefoong]

I only read the first few posts and thought of this:- I've nothing to hide, so a little trouble to have me checked doesn't matter, if it puts you at ease.

I was checked twice at the US immigration on different occasions. But I'm okay. I understand their concerns.

I'll likely think the same if and when I become an official.

[besitai2007]

Is this thread relevant to issues in USJ? Just wondering. More about Taiwan politics. :confused:

[kwchang]

you are right. I guess Jeff started it for reasons only known to him. Nonetheless, it is no longer relevant. Thanks for the request to close