We firmly believe that human rights and homeland are given by God. Christians seek justice and safeguard human dignity in order to participate in the continuing creation of God, manifesting God’s image. However, human beings are often selfish and greedy, neglecting justice, damaging human rights, thereby destroying the peace and beauty of God’s creation. We firmly believe that Taiwan is a beautiful homeland given by God to the Taiwanese people, comprised of Austronesian Indigenous Peoples, descendants of immigrants across the Taiwan Strait who married with Plain Indigenous Peoples, and the new immigrants after WWII. Taiwan is a multi-ethnic and multicultural oceanic nation. Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. We resolutely protest and refuse to accept the “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan”, issued on 2 January 2019 by Mr. Xi Jin-Ping, President of China. Xi’s message is full of autocratic and hegemonic ideas, completely lacking universal values of democracy, freedom and human rights. It is also full of lies with political manipulation. We pray that Xi will be able to realize and acknowledge that the relationship between Taiwan and China is not just “cross-strait relations” but two different countries, one upholding values of “freedom and democracy” and the other “dictatorship and autocracy”. If the two countries are to communicate with each other, dialogue needs to be based on mutual respect and equality. Therefore, we reiterate that Taiwan’s future will have to be decided upon by the Taiwanese people. Only Taiwanese people have the right to make such decision. We pray also that Xi will stop oppressing Christians, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and rights protection lawyers, so that the Chinese people can also learn the universal values of democracy, freedom, justice and human rights. We feel ashamed of Kuomintang (KMT) Nationalist Party’s politicians who continue to tailor their policies to China even after Xi’s damaging message to Taiwan. They bow at the face of China and continue to use the so-called “1992 consensus” to deceive themselves, echoing communist China’s oppression of the Taiwanese people. However, after much struggle and sacrifice of the Taiwanese people, “self-governance of the people” has become the consensus of Taiwanese society and politics. We pray that Taiwanese people will continue to insist on Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity, safeguarding Taiwan’s democracy and freedom in face of threats from China. We expect the government to push for reform of the Constitution, so it reflects and speaks to the reality of Taiwan. We also expect the government to participate actively in international organizations to contribute Taiwan’s power, making Taiwan truly a “new and independent country” as we have long prayed. In face of China’s nonsensical threats, we continue to sincerely pray to God for Taiwan that: “steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.” (Psalm 85:10-11) General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) Moderator Sih Pek-Chan (Hsieh Pao-Tsan) General SecretaryLyim Hong-Tiong 15 January 2019 |