Press Release  Say No To China Rally

Contact : 
Nora Tsay       Taiwanese Association of America
Bill Simpson    North Texas Leadership Council

Citizens across the world unite to say NO to China!

   Taiwan's freedom and democracy are at stake as China presses
towards their policy of unification.

   Dallas--A mass rally entitled "Say No to China, Say Yes to
Taiwan" will be held at the JFK Memorial in downtown Dallas on
Saturday, June 28, 1997, three days before control of  Hong Kong
is transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC) on July 1.
The rally will begin at 2:00pm and should conclude by 4:00pm.
Simultaneous rallies are being held across the United States in
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and
Washington, D. C. as well as in Taipei, Taiwan where over 100,00
articipants are expected.

   The Dallas rally is being cosponsored by the Dallas Chapter of
Taiwanese Association of America (TAA),  World United Formosans
for Independence (WUFI), Taiwanese Collegians (TC) and Taiwanese
Hakka Association.  The rally is intended to highlight Taiwan's
independent sovereignty and to emphasize that the "one nation,
two systems" framework that the PRC has formulated for Hong Kong
cannot be applied to Taiwan.

   Nora Tsay, President of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the
TAA states: "Taiwan's future is for the 21 million Taiwanese to
determine.  We want to remain a free and democratic country, not
under the oppression and control of communist China."

   "In Hong Kong, they have no choice but to accept the fate, but
Taiwan is different," said Hsu Hsingliang, chairman of the pro-
independence Democratic Progressive Party.  "However, we believe
Chinese pressure on Taiwan is going to become greater and greater,
and all the people in Taiwan are really worried."

   Organizers are anticipating over 200 participants for the rally
including a number of representatives from city, county, state,
and federal government.  Other organizations supporting the rally
include North Texas Leadership Council and Texas Eagle Forum.

   "Freedom of religion was stymied in China while I attended the
UN conference on women in Beijing in 1995."  said Cathie Adams of
Texas Eagle Forum.  "Participants were informed by the US state
department to leave their bibles and other religious materials at
home.  I attended a state run church in Beijing and witnessed
first hand the total control of the congregation and even the
pastor.

   It is encouraging to see Christians unite in support of the
democratically elected government in Taiwan which has set out to
protect both economic and religious freedoms."

   Bill Simpson of the North Texas Leadership Council states:
"China's long standing policies which infringe upon the most
basic human rights should be condemned by all democratic nations.
Their policies of one family one child and the lack of freedom of
assembly, religion, and speech violate the most basic tenets of
humankind.  China is the biggest threat to world wide democracy
that exists today.  Americans need to do everything in our power
to support our brothers and sisters in Taiwan who share our
vision of freedom and democracy."