[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. VIRGINIA FOXX

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 20, 2008

  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, on March 22, 2008, Taiwan elected a new 
president, Dr. Ma Ying-jeou of the Nationalist Party, effectively 
ending the era of government rule by the Democratic Progressive Party 
(DPP). The DPP first came into power with the inauguration of President 
Chen Shui-bian on May 20, 2000.
  During the last 8 years, Chen championed human rights and established 
the Human Rights Consultation Task Force in the Taiwan Presidential 
Office in October 2000. The purpose of the task force was to lay the 
groundwork for the establishment of a national Human Rights Commission. 
Because of this process, a number of seminars on human rights have been 
held in Taipei over the last 8 years. Today, Taiwan's 23 million 
citizens enjoy human rights protection, a necessary component of any 
successful democracy.
  In addition to the promotion of human rights, Chen was equally 
committed to using Taiwan's resources to bring aid to less-developed 
countries in Africa and other parts of the world. Unfortunately, 
without United Nations membership, Taiwan was denied access to many 
international organizations which would help coordinate more effective 
delivery of this aid. During his presidency, Chen continually argued 
his country's case before the world--that Taiwan's exclusion from the 
United Nations was a direct violation of the U.N. Charter, the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human 
rights provisions. In the same spirit, Chen never gave up in his 
efforts to secure observer status for Taiwan in the World Health 
Assembly. In 2004, the 108th Congress passed a bill, later signed into 
law, that requires the administration to make it a long-term policy to 
support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization as an 
observer.
  In terms of Taiwan's relations with the People's Republic of China 
(PRC), Chen has always expressed his willingness to talk to PRC 
leaders, despite the PRC's passage of the Anti-Secession Law in 2005 
and its current deployment of thousands of missiles aimed at Taiwan. 
Chen sought peace and tranquility across the Taiwan Strait without 
sacrificing the permanent interests of the Taiwanese people.
  Chen also worked closely with the United States Government throughout 
his administration. He helped reduce the trade imbalance between Taiwan 
and the United States and cooperated fully with the United States after 

9/11 by supporting U.S. antiterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq 
and implementing Container Security Initiatives (CSI) in two major 
ports in Taiwan to enhance the level of security cooperation between 
Taiwan and the United States. President Chen has always expressed his 
admiration for American democracy and fondness for the American people.
  Chen's accomplishments are many and it is difficult to enumerate them 
all here. Chen is a patriot who has shown the world that democracy is 
deeply rooted in Taiwan. This is most evident in the election of Mr. 
Chen and the DPP in 2000 and the upcoming peaceful, democratic transfer 
of power to President Ma and his new government this May.
  Mr. Chen, you have served your people well and we will miss you.

                          ____________________