China-Taiwan gifts

[Guest guest]

I have been away and hope this message has not been posted previously, Shirley

 

Dear Shirley

 

Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan, EAST, is writing to ask your

support for our recent zoo campaign - against using Endangered Species like

Panda & Golden Monkey as political gifts to be sent to Taiwan.

 

China is going to send two Giant Pandas to Taiwan to an opposition party

(KMT), while upon its Chairman's historical visit to Mainland last

week; and possibly to give a golden monkey to another Chairman of

opposition party as one of their gifts. The idea of gift itself and the

choose of Giant Panda is 100% political and nothing to do with wildlife

conservation, thus generates huge conflicts in Taiwan. (For more detailed

information about the gift story, please see a news article below)

 

However, together with some 30 non-government organisations, we protest

that politicians using animal life as a " gift " -- from both animal welfare

and wildlife conservation points of view.

 

First of all, is it possible that your organisation issues a statement

against the idea of using endangered animals (even bred in captivity as gift)?

 

Second, one of the national newspaper has invited EAST to write an article

on this issue, also has agreed to run a big story on this campaign. The

hope we can provide the following photos of animals (in the wild) that is

most not suitable to be kept

in zoo. The photo size needs to be 300 dpi, 500 kb to 1mb. Would your

organisation be able to provide these photos? I am sure that they will

credit the name of organisation. I am sorry that the deadline of photos is

6 May at 12:00.

 

Giant Panda(of course)

Koala (so popular in TCZ)

Penguin (popular too)

Elephant

Polar Bear

Golden Monkey

Chimpanzee

Orangutan

Gibbon (these three species, according to TCZ, they have many and can be

given to China as " gift " too !)

 

Your support and assistance will be very much appreciated.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Pei F. Su

EAST International (UK)

 

Wu Hung

Founder

EAST (Taiwan)

 

--------------------------------

 

<http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZZR6ZYFZ7E.html>http://china.scmp.com/chimain/ZZ\

ZR6ZYFZ7E.html

Wednesday, May 4, 2005

 

KMT vice-chairman welcomes the offer but ruling party lawmaker says to

accept would be to admit Taiwan's 'local government' status

 

STAFF REPORTERS in Shanghai and Beijing

 

Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou yesterday welcomed Beijing's gift of two giant

pandas to the Taiwanese people, in contrast to its cool reception by

members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

 

Mr Ma, Kuomintang party vice-chairman, raised the possibility of giving the

mainland a pair of Formosan rock monkeys in return.

 

The pandas were on a gift list announced by the director of the State

Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, Chen Yunlin, as KMT chairman Lien Chan

concluded his visit to the mainland.

 

Details, including the zoo from which the pandas will be selected, have yet

to be announced. But there was speculation yesterday that they would come

from Fuzhou, which has a climate similar to that of Taiwan.

 

Mr Chen said it had always been the mainland's wish to send pandas to the

Taiwanese people. Beijing decided to seize the opportunity oÿÿÿÿˆì f Mr

Lien's visit to present the gift, he said.

 

" Pandas are the treasure of the Chinese people. We believe the gentle

personality, solitary nature and charming naivety of pandas will bring

happiness to the lives of Taiwanese people. "

 

In an interview with state media, Mr Lien was quoted as saying the pandas

would make people " very happy " , although it was still unclear what

procedures might be necessary for their delivery to Taiwan.

 

In Taipei, Mr Ma said the pandas would be welcome at the Taipei Zoo in Mucha.

 

He said the zoo had exchanged animals with other zoos in the past, noting

that Formosan rock monkeys or chimpanzees could be offered to the mainland

in a return gesture.

 

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, on a visit to the Pacific island

oÿÿÿÿˆì f Kiribati, said Taiwan would accept the pandas as long as it was

in line with international conventions on endangered species.

 

The island's ruling party placed advertisements in newspapers urging the

public to be wary of the panda offer - a " united-front tactic " .

 

One of the DPP's greatest concerns was that the mainland would insist

Taiwan accept the pandas in the capacity of a provincial government, rather

than as a self-governing entity.

 

" If we accept the pandas, that means we're admitting to ourselves that

we're a local government, " said DPP lawmaker Hsu Kuo-yung.

 

Chang Chia-chih, chairman of Chinese Cross-Strait Giant Panda Care and

Conservation Exchange Association, said Taiwan definitely had the ability

to raise the pandas, given the establishment of a suitable environment for

the endangered species.

 

The Taipei Zoo said it was building a panda enclosure, which would be

ready by next spring.

 

Local wildlife groups said the animals would be better off left in their

natural environment.

 

Additional reporting by Jacky Hsu in Taipei and Associated Press

 

 

 

Dr. Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman

International Primate Protection League

PO Box 766

Summerville, SC 29484, USA

Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988

E-mail - smcgreal, Web: www.ippl.org

 

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making

exciting discoveries. ~ AA Milne