The year's United Nations Assembly will be held again from Sept 19. Taiwan's bid for a UN seat, undoubtedly, will be one of the hot issues to be discussed.

Many Taiwanese people ask if the UN Charter guarantees the right of all states to membership, why then does the UN exclude a whole nation, Taiwan, that satisfies all of the criteria of statehood as defined in the 1933 Montevideo Convention and is more populous than 80 percent of UN member states? The answer is very simple - the UN has bowed to pressure exerted by China, or the People's Republic of China.

In order to proclaim once again the determination of Taiwan's people to take their rightful place in the UN, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian submitted an application for membership to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-mon last July and August but the UN Secretariat returned the application letters, supposedly in keeping with 'the one China policy of the United Nations' described in General Assembly Resolution 2758.

The UN secretariat's action is completely disturbing, because Resolution 2758 only resolved the representation of China; it did not deal with the issue of representation of the Taiwanese people, let alone say that Taiwan is the part of China, or the People's Republic of China.

Several public opinion polls show that the majority of Taiwanese people are firmly assured of the fact that Taiwan is an independent sovereign country and the Taiwanese people want to uphold their democracy and identity.

On these grounds, a proposed referendum for UN membership has been pushed along with the upcoming presidential election to be held in March next year. The referendum proposal reflects the Taiwanese people's strong desire to join in the international community. It will help Taiwan's people voice out their desire and let the world know of their determination.

We live in a good world, with good people in it. The human race has shown time and again that a spirit of compassion and love can overcome adversity, fear, injustice and aggression. The Taiwanese people deserve their right to UN membership. You, as a reader, have the power to help this happen. The people of Taiwan are counting on you.

The writer is director, Information Division, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia.