[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 87 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1332-E1333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TAIWAN AID INITIATIVE TO HELP KOSOVAR REFUGEES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SHELLEY BERKLEY

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 18, 1999

  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, the President of the Republic of China 
recently made a statement which I believe would be of interest to my 
colleagues. On June 7th, President Lee Teng-hui announced that the 
Republic of China will donate US $300 million to help Kosovar refugees 
rebuild their homes.
  More than 782,000 ethnic Albanians have been forced to leave Kosovo 
since Yugoslav troops began ethnic cleansing in the region. Among them, 
443,000 refugees fled to Albania and some 247,000 swarmed to Macedonia. 
The aid package will include emergency supplies for Kosovar refugees 
and contributions to long-term reconstruction efforts by the 
international community in Kosovo now that a peace plan has been 
accepted. Moreover, it also offers to arrange for Kosovar refugees to 
receive short-term technical training in Taiwan.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the Republic of China as a member of the world 
community for their continued commitment to protecting and promoting 
human rights. The announcement was both timely and insightful, fully 
demonstrating the ROC's concern for peace in the world. I submit the 
text of President Lee Teng-hui's statement to be printed in the Record.

    Presidential Statement Regarding Assistance to Kosovar Refugees

       The huge numbers of Kosovar casualties and refugees from 
     the Kosovo area resulting from the NATO-Yugoslavia conflict 
     in the Balkans have capture close world-wide attention. From 
     the very outset, the government of the ROC has been deeply 
     concerned and we are carefully monitoring the situation's 
     development.
       We in the Republic of China were pleased to learn last week 
     that Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milosevic has accepted the 
     peace plan for the Kosovo crisis proposed by the Group of 
     Eight countries, for which specific peace agreements are 
     being worked out.
       The Republic of China wholeheartedly looks forward to the 
     dawning of peace on the Balkans. For more than two months, we 
     have been concerned about the plight of the hundreds of 
     thousands of Kosovar refugees who were forced to flee to 
     other countries, particularly from the vantage point of our 
     emphasis on protecting human rights. We thereby organized a 
     Republic of China aid mission to Kosovo. Carrying essential 
     relief items, the mission made a special trip to the refugee 
     camps in Macedonia to lend a helping hand.
       Today, as we anticipate a critical moment of forth-coming 
     peace, I hereby make the following statement to the 
     international community on behalf of all the nationals of the 
     Republic of China:
       As a member of the world community committed to protecting 
     and promoting human rights, the Republic of China would like 
     to develop further the spirit of humanitarian concern for the 
     Kosovar refugees living in exile as well as for the war-torn 
     areas in dire need of reconstruction. We will provide a grant 
     aid equivalent to about US $300 million. The aid will consist 
     of the following:
       1. Emergency support for food, shelters, medical care, and 
     education, etc for the Kosovar refugees, living in exile in 
     neighboring countries.

[[Page E1333]]

       2. Short-term accommodations for some of the refugees in 
     Taiwan, with opportunities of job training in order for them 
     to be better equipped for the restoration of their homeland 
     upon their return.
       3. Furthermore, support the rehabilitation of the Kosovo 
     area in coordination with international long-term recovery 
     programs when the peace plan is implemented.
       We earnestly hope that the above-mentioned aid will 
     contribute to the promotion of the peace plan for Kosovo. I 
     wish all the refugees an early return to their safe and 
     peaceful Kosovo homes.

     

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