Taiwan leaders demand suspension of religious ties with China over Tibet self-immolations/ENG

2012. március 21./Phayul.com/TibetPress

DHARAMSHALA, March 21: A national political party in Taiwan has demanded President Ma Ying-jeou to suspend all religious exchanges with China until Beijing stops its “oppression” on Tibetan monks and nuns.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union, a political party advocating independence for Taiwan, said Monday that the island nation should severe religious ties with mainland China to protest the continued crackdown on religious freedom in Tibetan areas.

Hsu Chung-hsin, TSU legislative caucus whip said that the party will propose to observe a “moment of silence” before the next legislative session to pay “tribute” to the Tibetans who have died in the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet.

A total of 30 Tibetans have set their bodies on fire since 2009, demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet. The self-immolations have sparked major unrests in Tibetan areas, with thousands of Tibetans protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet,

Hsu noted that China’s recent crackdown on Tibetan monks has been one of the “most brutal” cases of persecution in history.

“President Ma Ying-jeou’s administration should recognise the gravity of the oppression and suspend all religious exchanges across the Taiwan Strait until Beijing stops its violent actions,” Hsu said.

Another TSU Legislator, Lin Shih-chia noted that the Tibetan issue went beyond religion as it is also related to human rights and ethnicity.

“Engaging in religious exchanges with a country like China would amount to self-belittlement for Taiwan,” Lin said.

Last month, one of Taiwan’s former presidential candidates and leader of Taiwan’s largest opposition party, had expressed concerns over the situation in Tibet and called on President Ma to voice his concerns to Beijing.

Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen had said she was “heartbroken” with the increasing reports of self-immolation protests by Tibetans and reiterated the DPP’s support for Tibet’s democratic movement and the well-being of Tibetans in Taiwan.

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