Writer's Block

The USA is the place I was born. Canada is the place I was raised. Taiwan is the place in my heart.

Saturday, September 25, 2004

In recent months Taiwan has been dealt a series of hits and misses in the international community. Here’s a brief summary:

A Taiwanese Boy's Painting for a Stamp Commemorating International Peace Day is Disqualified by the UN

Apparently, a fifteen-year-old boy is now on the list of people who pose a threat to China. In August, China protested the boy's painting, which had been selected by the UN for a stamp to commemorate International Peace Day. These objections led to the UN's disqualification of the Taiwanese student's painting. The painting was inspired by the 9-11 attacks in New York. It features children riding away to peace on a dove, and several national flags, including the Republic of China flag of Taiwan. China saw the inclusion of the ROC flag as a threat to its territory.

Although the UNPA (UN Postal Administration) firmly upheld its decision and issued conflicting statements on the incident, Chunghwa Post published the boy's stamp for local circulation in Taiwan on September 21, International Peace Day.



Taiwan's Failed Bid for UN Membership

On September 16, Taiwan's 12th bid for UN membership was
rejected
. One major hurdle to admission is Taiwan's bid under the name of the Republic of China, rather than simply as Taiwan.



Taiwan's Double Gold

Taiwan's participation at the Athens Olympic Games shed light on the quagmire of Taiwan's international image. Click was here to read more.

News coverage on Taiwan's participation in the Athens Olympics brought this issue center stage each time Taiwan was referred to by the media, each time the Chinese Taipei baseball team played, and each time Taiwan’s athletes won a medal- when there was no flag of Taiwan to salute, and they were called the athletes from Chinese Taipei.

After winning, some of Tae Kwon Do athletes proudly shouted, “Taiwan! Number 1! “I am from Taiwan!”

Click here to learn more about Taiwan's Olympic heros.

Then there were even reports that China tried to claim Taiwan's medals as their own in an attempt to claim that they had won the most medals of any country participating at the Athens Olympics.



Taiwan's First Lady Snubbed at the Athens Paralympics

Days before Taiwan's First Lady, Wu Shu-jen's was to take a trip to Athens , the International Paralympic Committee asked the first lady to revoke her position as head of Taiwan’s paralympic team, and downgraded the first lady’s pass to paralympic events. Click here to read more on that.

Instead of feeling hopeless and frustrated, I am encouraged to see that these incidents are contributing to a rising awareness and sense of national identity among the Taiwanese... as it enters people’s daily discussions and consciousness.

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