President Ma Ying-jeou on February 21 expressed his belief that democracy and human rights are universal values and an extension of people-oriented thought as well as benevolent government that are deep-rooted in Chinese culture. These are also core values of the Taiwan people and an important indicator in measuring cross-strait relations, he noted. The president's remarks were made in response to calls made by the public in mainland China through the Internet to stage a "jasmine movement" series of activities.
The president said he hopes that mainland China will maintain its prosperity and development. However, he also expressed his desire for mainland authorities to speed up their pace in implementing political reforms that would usher in democracy and rule of law, as well as the protection of human rights. In this new age of global democratization, new ways of thinking, open-mindedness, and tolerance need to be embraced in handling dissidents, he noted. Thus democracy and human rights can act incessantly as a common language between the people of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and help to create a free and democratic future for the Chinese race, he commented.
【Source: Office of the President】