Taipei, Sept. 13 (CNA) A delegation of more than 80 people was scheduled to leave for New York City late Thursday to help promote Taiwan's bid for U.N. membership and voice Taiwan's opinion prior to the opening of the annual U.N. General Assembly session next Tuesday.
The main event of the delegation, which has been organized by the Taiwan United Nations Alliance (TAIUNA), will be a rally outside U.N. headquarters Sept. 15 coinciding with a similar rally in the southern port city of Kaohsiung.
The rallies will symbolize the "collective will of the people of Taiwan" for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan, TAIUNA President Chen Lung-chu claimed, adding that the New York rally is expecting 2,000 participants, while a crowd of 500,000 is expected at the Kaohsiung rally.
Public opinion polls show that more than half the respondents support the U.N. bid under the name Taiwan, said Rev. William Lo, who serves as TAIUNA secretary-general.
The delegation has a diverse cross-section, Lo said, as it includes students, newlyweds, senior citizens and professors, all of whom volunteered for the trip. In New York, the members will distribute flyers promoting the U.N. bid and will try to make Americans understand Taiwan's situation and position with direct conversation on the streets.
The delegation is scheduled to return to Taiwan Sept. 22.