‘Flash mob’ calls for dropping ‘Chinese Taipei’ name

[yuiyoshida]

Members of the Taiwan Solidarity Union’s youth wing, together with members of the Taiwan Independence Flag Organization, yesterday hold up signs calling for an end to the use of “Chinese Taipei” for the nation’s athletes and teams in international competitions, during a “flash mob” event at Taipei’s Huashan 1917 Creative Park.
Photo: CNA

Young people from the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) and Taiwan Independence Flag Organization yesterday took part in a “flash mob” in Taipei to back demands for the use of “Taiwan” instead of “Chinese Taipei” for national teams participating in international competitions.

Armed with posters and placards that spelled “we want Team Taiwan to participate at all international competitions,” the group walked through the Huashan 1914 Creative Park, where they were mostly met with smiles and thumbs up by the throngs of people attending a beer festival, as well as arts and musical events. The signs also invited people to take photographs to post on Line, Facebook and other social networking sites.

Flash mob participants also handed out dark green stickers with the message “Taiwan is Taiwan” in Chinese and “Taiwan is not Chinese Taipei” in English.

TSU Youth Department deputy director Hsu Ya-chi said the “flash mob” action was aimed at raising awareness among young people of the name issue, encouraging people to cheer for “Team Taiwan” and Taiwanese athletes at all sports events and urging the government and sports bodies to drop the name “Chinese Taipei.”

“Taiwan is Taiwan, almost everyone in the world knows that, but sports governing bodies and the former administrations imposed the name ‘Chinese Taipei’ on us,” Hsu said. “It is the wrong name, and it downgrades Taiwan’s national sovereignty. Its continued use will make international community to believe that Taiwanese are all Chinese, which is a distortion of the facts.”

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http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/09/05/2003654535