As US President Barack Obama launched his four-nation tour of Asia this week he received two strong pleas to protect Taiwan’s interests. One came from four members of Congress and the other from 16 Taiwanese-American organizations acting in concert.
The congressional letter, signed by members of Congress Shelley Berkley, Gerald Connolly, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Phil Gingrey, urged Obama to keep Taiwan’s security uppermost in his mind when meeting Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).
Displaying pictures of decaying nuclear waste barrels and a girl with a brain tumor, Tao Aborigines from Lanyu (蘭嶼, also known as Orchid Island) yesterday accused the government and Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) of trying to annihilate the tribe by storing nuclear waste on the island for three decades.