Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Independence advocates call on Japan for support

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Independence advocates yesterday appealed to the Japanese government, saying Tokyo is obligated to help Taiwan, a former Japanese colony, gain sovereignty.

Dozens of representatives from pro-independence groups submitted their appeal in a letter addressed to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in front of the building of the Interchange Association, Japan.

The representatives said they chose to make their appeal yesterday — one day after Japan commemorated the 61st anniversary of San Francisco Treaty in 1952, marking the recovery of its sovereignty following its World War II defeat.

Japan renounced its sovereignty over Taiwan after World War II, but Taiwan’s status remains undetermined more than six decades later, said Sim Kiantek (沈建德), a former associate professor at Chung Hsing University.

As such, Japan is obligated to help Taiwan gain sovereignty, said Sim, who described himself as the convener of the Taiwan Interim Government.

Moreover, China is telling the international community that sovereignty over Taiwan and the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) — a group of islands over which Japan also claims sovereignty — was returned to China after World War II, and Japan needs to step forward to rebut China’s claim, Sim said.

Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), convener of the Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan, said Japan and the US are the two countries most responsible for helping Taiwan with resolving its sovereignty dispute.

Tsay urged Tokyo and Washington to support Taiwanese’s right to self-determination.

An official of the Interchange Association accepted the letter, but did not make any comment.