President Chen Shui-bian urged the international community to pay close attention to the military intimidation, diplomatic oppression and united-front tactics Beijing has been using against Taiwan

PRC's fear tactics need scrutiny: Chen

RIGHTS TALK: A conference on human trafficking looked at the larger
human rights aspects that make fighting the slave trade in this
century such a difficult enterprise
By Shih Hsiu-chuan
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Dec 09, 2007
President Chen Shui-bian yesterday urged the international community
to pay close attention to the military intimidation, diplomatic
oppression and united-front tactics Beijing has been using against
Taiwan.

"Any brutal or violent action to oppress one's own people or to
threaten foreign countries cannot be tolerated ... I appeal to you
[international community] to see clearly the true nature of China's
authoritarian government and understand the implication of its awful
human rights record," Chen said.

Chen made the remarks during a speech at a conference on human rights
as part of a series of events hosted by Liberal International (LI) to
celebrate its 60th anniversary.

Under the theme "Strengthening Networks and Combating Human
Trafficking," the sessions of the two-day event focused on human
trafficking in Asia and the general aspects of trafficking.

Chen thanked international guests from the world federation of liberal
political parties and groups for their longstanding support of Taiwan
and expressed the nation's desire to make contributions to the
development of freedom, democracy, peace and security.

"Statistics show that today, millions of people are being bought and
sold as commodities around the globe, which constitutes nothing less
than slave a trade in the 21st century. We must not allow human beings
to be denigrated and treated like commodities," Chen said.

International cooperation is necessary to eliminate human trafficking,
he said, adding that Taiwan should therefore be allowed to participate
in the global network.

LI president Lord John Alderdice said democratic development in China
was a very difficult thing as "it's not just a question of holding to
principles. It's a question of strategy."

Rather than just focus on economic cooperation, the international
community should engage China on human right issues, he said.

"There is a possibly unprecedented opportunity to this. As we come up
to the Olympic Games next year, it's possible to use the opportunity
to make an important point about human rights in China," he said.

Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Council of Asian Liberals and
Democrats, said that democratically elected representatives play a
crucial role in ending human trafficking -- "a despicable act that
trumps our basic human rights."

Tioulong Saumura, an MP in the Sam Rainsy Party in Cambodia, said the
various organizations involved in international development should
seek to build and advance democracy, the rule of law and
accountability within recipient countries.

"Too often international donators who want to help developing
countries ... forget the basic values of democracy and human rights.
But without those values, no sustainable development is possible," she
said.

She also questioned the "principle of non-interference into internal
affairs" often adopted by the international community, saying that
"the internal affairs of a country, when relating to human rights, are
the internal affairs of the whole world."
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