Universal Peace Federation World Summit

Restore Peace to the Pacific

 

H.E. Lu Hsiu-lien Annette

Vice President of Taiwan 2000-2008

 

Seoul, South Korea

February 22, 2013

 

Dr. Thomas Walsh, Madame Lan Young Moon, distinguished leaders and guests, ladies and gentlemen,

 03252013

Nothing is as significant as what we are meeting here in Seoul to discuss on peace, security and women empowerment, on the eve of the inauguration of the first women president in the history of Korea. Congratulations shall be granted not only to Madam Park Geun-hye, but also to the people of Korea who have elected an outstanding lady to lead their nation, making Korea No. 1 among the four Confucianism affected countries.

 

Regretfully, the surrounding atmosphere sounds not so amicable. The young leader in North Korea has launched the nuclear test and intercontinental ballistic missile test just recently, while China and Japan are about to trigger a war around the area of Diaoyutai/Senkaku Islands.

 

Peace is everyone’s dream. So is the empowerment for women. But dream does not necessarily become true. Although women in Korea are empowered, peace in the Northeastern Asia seems as far as the moon from the earth. Why so?

 

It is because we human beings have been cultivated with the patriarchal concept of hard power, to take not to give, and to occupy, rather than to share. Therefore all countries are crazy about the absolute territorial sovereignty, especially after the United Nationsbegan to enforce the Convention on the Law of the Sea that allows each country to expand a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. If each of the countries related overlaps with each other and insisted its absolute sovereignty without compromise, how can a war be avoided and peace be maintained?

 

Throughout the entire World War II, a total of 84 countries and 2 billion people were involved in war effort, resulting in 12 million military and 45 million civilian deaths. Of the total casualties, 35 million were in the Pacific theater.

 

Did people take this tragic lesson? No! Otherwise North Korea shouldn’t develop its nuclear weapons, nor shall Japan and China militarize the dispute over the uninhabited islets.

 

Geologically, the Diaoyutais are the natural prolongation of Taiwan and historically an inherited fishing ground of Taiwan’s fishermen. In spite of that, I have been advocating a Peace Initiative to demilitarize and to preserve the disputed islets, based on the spirit and principles of the Antarctic Treaty signed by 50 countries. Thanks to it, the continent of Antarctica has been preserved for peaceful and sustainable development. Other international practices can also be learned from the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the 1994 Red Sea Marine Peace Park between Israel and Jordan.

 

For the sake of world peace, of regional stability and prosperity, and of the sustainable development of the Pacific Ocean, I therefore would sincerely and solemnly take this World Summit to invite your support and cooperation to restore peace to the Pacific as the following:

 

  1. 1.        All armed forces withdraw from 12 nautical miles of the islets so as to restore peace in the area.
  2. 2.        No territorial sovereignty claims should be allowed to undermine the stability and peace in the area.
  3. 3.        Military and nuclear activities that might threaten peace and stability are not allowed to be conducted in the area.
  4. 4.        Preserve the Diaoyutais as an international marine conservation zone exclusively for peaceful purposes, making it a no-flying, no-fishing, and no-navigation zone within a certain limited area.

 

Distinguished leaders, my dear sisters and brothers from the Universal Peace Federation, let’s work together to stop the nuclear weapons, and to stop all kinds of war from destroying the earth!

 

May we also wish the new leadership under Madam Park to be a model for women empowerment and to bring peace, security and development for Korea, and for Asia!

 

God bless you.

 

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