Cablegate: Media Reaction: Beijing Olympics

VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #1216 2270736
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 140736Z AUG 08
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9756
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8542
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 9749

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 001216

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: BEIJING OLYMPICS

Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies continued to focus
August 14 news coverage on the Beijing Olympics and on President Ma
Ying-jeou's transit stops in the United States Tuesday. An
editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News"
discussed the Beijing Olympics and said U.S. President George W.
Bush's statement made in Bangkok on cross-Strait situation "signals
that Taiwan may well be slated to be used as a bargaining chip to
realize 'peace in our times' with a rising authoritarian power."
End summary.

"Olympic Games Mask PRC Rights Crisis"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation:
20,000] editorialized (8/14):

"... However, the fact that PRC has fulfilled virtually none of its
promises has not impeded world democratic leaders, such as United
States President George W. Bush and French President Nichols
Sarkozy, from eschewing calls by the global human rights community
to refrain from attending the lavish opening spectacle. Instead,
fearful of offending this rising military and economic powerhouse,
world leaders have had shown more enthusiasm to rush to Beijing to
endorse the authoritarian CCP regime than attending the 2004
Olympics in Greece, the birthplace of democracy. ...''

"The declaration by Bush in Bangkok on the eve of the Beijing
Olympics that cooperation with the PRC had succeeded in 'ensuring
peace in the Taiwan Strait' for the price of explicit opposition by
Bush to 'Taiwan independence' signals that Taiwan may well be slated
to be used as a bargaining chip to realize 'peace in our times' with
a rising authoritarian power. Only continued efforts by the world
community in word and action to pressure Beijing to fulfill its
human rights commitments and clear demonstration of the resolve of
the 23 million Taiwan people to protect our democracy and autonomy
can prevent the Beijing Olympics from following the example of the
Berlin Games and becoming the prelude to a strengthening of
authoritarianism in China and sentencing Taiwan to becoming another
Czechoslovakia."

YOUNG

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