Battered, but not giving up

This is a response to Hua Hua's article entitled Taiwan separatists doomed to fail which appeared in The Jakarta Post's May 18 edition.

The health of 23 million people -- a basic human right -- is the reason why Taiwan wants to join the WHO as an observer. It is not a political issue. Just as viruses do not respect national boundaries, so also health care must be truly global.

Hua said that the WHO consisted of sovereign states only. But the truth is that the WHO has invited observers such as the Holy See, the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Order of Malta and the International Committee of the Red Cross to participate in its work. Why not Taiwan?

The WHO's rejection of Taiwan has highlighted once again the dark political maneuverings that hover over international organizations. China's all-out blockade remains the biggest obstacle to Taiwan's return to the international community. Apart from its machinations to shut the door on Taiwan's application, Beijing has repeatedly lied to the world by saying that it is taking good care of the health of Taiwan's people.

However, there is a silver lining to the dark cloud. Many countries did express sympathy behind the scenes at the Geneva assembly. The U.S. and Japan did not show their support until after the steering committee meeting, but even that in itself was a major improvement. This year's battle may go a long way in encouraging other countries to publicly support Taiwan's bid next year. So there is no reason to get frustrated with this latest rejection and give up. The WHO bid is not a 100m sprint. It's more like a game of American football -- one cannot hope to score with just one play, but if some distance can be gained in each down, a touchdown will eventually be achieved. After all, the return to the international community is a long and arduous path. It took Taiwan 12 years of hard work to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). Success with the WHO will not come easily.

DEREK HSU

Director

Information Division

Taipei Economic and Trade Office

Jakarta