[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 117 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5990-S5991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 542--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN 
     RIGHTS IN TAIWAN FOLLOWING THE JANUARY 2012 PRESIDENTIAL AND 
                    LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS IN TAIWAN

  Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. Begich) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 542

       Whereas, for many years, Taiwan has been a strong and 
     cooperative partner of the United States;
       Whereas the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et 
     seq.), the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations, 
     declares that ``the preservation and enhancement of the human 
     rights of all the people of Taiwan are hereby reaffirmed as 
     objectives of the United States'';
       Whereas, since the lifting of martial law in 1987, the 
     people of Taiwan have amply demonstrated their desire for 
     democratic governance, as well as their commitment to human 
     rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law;
       Whereas, since their first democratic presidential election 
     in 1996, the people of Taiwan have conducted four more 
     presidential elections, as well as successive elections for 
     members of their national legislature, numerous local 
     elections, and two national referendums;
       Whereas Taiwan conducted its latest presidential and 
     legislative elections on January 14, 2012;
       Whereas, on January 14, 2012, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, the 
     incumbent and the nominee of the Chinese Nationalist Party 
     (KMT), was re-elected as the President of Taiwan with 51.6 
     percent of the vote, while in the 113-member legislature the 
     KMT won 64 seats, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won 
     40 seats, and the People's First Party (PFP), the Taiwan 
     Solidarity Union (TSU), and other non-partisan independent 
     candidates each won 3 seats;
       Whereas an international election observation mission made 
     up of 19 observers from 8 countries, invited by the 
     International Committee for Fair Elections in Taiwan (ICFET), 
     observed the January 14, 2012, elections in Taiwan;
       Whereas the final report of the mission, made up of 
     observers from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, 
     Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States, was recently 
     presented in Taiwan;
       Whereas the final report of the mission included--
       (1) a finding that the elections were mostly free but only 
     partly fair;
       (2) a finding that the date selected for the election made 
     it more convenient for Taiwan businessmen in China to return 
     for the vote, but made it more difficult for students to 
     return to their home towns to vote, and a recommendation that 
     the household registration system should be changed to allow 
     people to vote where they actually work or study in Taiwan, 
     ending the need to travel long distances to vote;
       (3) a finding that vote buying and vote betting remains an 
     issue of concern, and recommendations that stiffer penalties 
     be put in place for candidates who buy votes, such as 
     disqualification from running in future

[[Page S5991]]

     elections, and that the political parties do more to prevent 
     individual candidates from engaging in vote buying;
       (4) a finding that major violations of principles of 
     administrative neutrality during the elections by government 
     officials occurred, and a recommendation that civil service 
     and non-elected offices need to be further de-politicized;
       (5) a finding that verified data does not exist on campaign 
     financial resources and expenditures and it seemed likely 
     that campaign spending exceeded campaign finance limits, and 
     recommendations that enforcement and public promotion of 
     campaign spending laws be strengthened and loopholes closed 
     and that the longstanding issue of KMT party assets, 
     including their source, use, and investments be resolved;
       (6) a finding that the Government of the People's Republic 
     of China attempted to influence the elections by sending 
     agricultural purchasing missions to southern Taiwan as a sign 
     of support for the sitting President, reducing the number of 
     tourist groups allowed to travel to Taiwan to signal the 
     ability to reduce tourism if the ``wrong candidate'' won, and 
     by discounting flights from China to Taiwan to make it easier 
     for Taiwanese businessmen living in China to return to Taiwan 
     to vote;
       (7) a finding that actions and statements by the United 
     States Government and its officials might have influenced the 
     elections, noting that in the three months preceding the 
     election, there were more visits by high-level United States 
     officials to Taipei than during any calendar year in recent 
     history; less than one month before the elections, the 
     Department of State announced Taiwan's candidacy for 
     participation in the visa waiver program; and a senior United 
     States official stated anonymously through the Financial 
     Times that the DPP's presidential candidate Tsai ``left us 
     with distinct doubts about whether she is both willing and 
     able to continue the stability in cross-Strait relations the 
     region has enjoyed in recent years''; and
       (8) a finding that media outlets gave preferential 
     treatment to a particular party or candidate based on the 
     outlet's political affiliation;
       Whereas Taiwan's native-grown democratic experience serves 
     as a model for countries in the region and around the world 
     aspiring to establish democratic rule;
       Whereas Taiwan's free and open society plays a stabilizing 
     role in the Asia Pacific region and is thus conducive to the 
     interests of states of the region, including the United 
     States, in furthering peace, prosperity and stability; and
       Whereas the United States remains committed to the 
     continued strengthening and development of democratic 
     institutions in Taiwan, and to ensuring the ability of the 
     people of Taiwan to determine their own future free from 
     outside interference or coercion: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) applauds the progress made by the people of Taiwan 
     toward the consolidation of democracy over the past two 
     decades, and commends their enduring commitment to the values 
     of democracy, rule of law, and the protection of human 
     rights;
       (2) encourages the people and the Government of Taiwan to 
     take steps to continue to strengthen the protection of 
     democratic values and human rights in their country, 
     including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom 
     of the press;
       (3) encourages the people and the Government of Taiwan to 
     take into consideration the conclusions and recommendations 
     of international election monitoring missions, including the 
     final International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) 
     report, as they seek to strengthen their democratic practices 
     and human rights protections;
       (4) urges the President and Government of the United States 
     to continue to support democracy and human rights in Taiwan;
       (5) encourages all outside parties to remain neutral in 
     Taiwan's elections; and
       (6) affirms that the future of Taiwan should be resolved 
     peacefully, in accordance with democratic principles, and 
     with the assent of the people of Taiwan.

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise to submit a resolution relating 
to the January 2012, presidential and legislative elections held in 
Taiwan. On January 14, 2012, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, the nominee of the 
Chinese Nationalist Party, KMT, was re-elected as President of Taiwan 
with 51.6 percent of the vote. The KMT also won 64 seats of the 113-
member Legislative Yuan, while the Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, 
won 40 seats.
  Former United States Senator Frank Murkowski participated in an 
international election observation mission made up of 19 observers from 
8 countries. Recently, the mission submitted its final report on the 
elections, concluding that they were mostly free but only partly fair.
  The resolution I am submitting takes note of the mission's final 
report, and urges the people and government of Taiwan to take the 
report's findings and recommendations into consideration as they 
continue their commitment to the values of democracy, the rule of law, 
and human rights.

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