Backed by the pro-independence parties -- the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) some lawmakers and activists in Taiwan led a massive march in Kaohsiung on Saturday, pushing for a new law allowing so-called "referendums" on the island.

The parade was timed to coincide with Retrocession Day, a day marking the anniversary of Taiwan's return to China de facto and de jure in 1945 after 50 years of Japanese occupation.

The latest uproar has served as an old trick of the island's pro-independence diehards in their attempt to separate Taiwan from the motherland in the name of so-called "democracy."

It is also viewed as the DPP's election tactic to distract the focus of the Taiwan public away from its poor administrative merits by stressing the issue of "independence or unification."

Despite the "five nots" promise Chen Shui-bian made when he was elected "leader" of Taiwan in 2000 (not to declare independence, not to change the name of Taiwan, not to push for inclusion of the "two states" description in the constitution, not to promote a referendum about independence or reunification and not to abolish the National Unification Council and the Guidelines for National Unification), in August 2002 he dished out the fallacy of holding a "referendum" to determine Taiwan's future.

Clearly, the so-called "referendum legislation" is just a step of the "gradual independence" conspiracy, coupled with the so-called "desinification" and "name rectification" movement promoted by the ruling DPP since Chen took office.

Due to strong opposition from the people across the Straits and pressure from Washington, Chen has changed his initial stance and promised not to hold an independence referendum as long as Beijing does not attack.

Instead, he indicated he wanted to hold a vote on pressing domestic issues, such as whether construction on a controversial nuclear plant should be completed.

However, this is more deceiving and harmful. On one hand, it can force the pro-unification opposition parties, the Kuomintang Party (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP), who fear being accused of "betraying Taiwan," to give way by making use of so-called "mainstream opinion."

The KMT and PFP were once strongly opposed to the DPP's proposal of referendum legislation.

On Friday, one day after the KMT and PFP presented their version of a referendum law, the two largest opposition parties inked a joint declaration, vowing they would complete referendum legislation before next year's presidential election.

Though this joint declaration also stated the referendum issue should be separate from the presidential election and excluded from being subject to a referendum, virtually all the controversial topics concerning national identity on which referendums have been suggested, it indeed has paved the way to pass the legislation.

On the other hand, if the referendum legislation is passed, it could be used in the future to legitimize the holding of a "referendum" on the issue of "independence or unification with the mainland."

In fact, there does not exist any legal basis for holding a "referendum" to determine the so-called future of Taiwan.

Taiwan has been an integral part of China and is not an independent state. History bears out this fact.

This has also been recognized by the majority of the international community.

Since Taiwan is part of China, its sovereignty is owned by the whole of the Chinese people rather than only the people residing on the island. It would be extremely ridiculous and a serious violation of the fundamental principle of human rights if the Chinese people of the mainland were deprived of the right to decide the future of a part of their country, Taiwan.

The Taiwan separatist forces should not forsake the fundamental interests of the Taiwan compatriots in their pursuit of dubious political agendas.

(China Daily October 27, 2003)