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      民主進步黨主席蘇貞昌訪問歐洲，於台北時間22日晚間(布魯塞爾時間22日中午)參加歐洲議會議員在歐洲議會所舉辦的歡迎酒會。蘇主席和陪同的我國駐歐盟代表董國猷等人，與出席酒會的Hans van Baalen(荷蘭籍，國際自由聯盟LI主席)、Andrey Kovatchev(保加利亞)、Jacek Wlosowicz(波蘭籍)、Niki Tzavela(希臘籍)、Charles Tannock(英國籍，歐洲議會友台小組主席)、Morten Lokkegaard(丹麥籍)、Jean-Jacob BICEP(法國籍)、Jose Salafranca(西班牙籍)、Henri Weber(法國籍)等歐洲議會議員進行廣泛交流。蘇主席也發表英文致詞，邀請歐洲好友們繼續與民進黨、與台灣人民並肩為維護民主、自由與人權而奮鬥。

      Hans van Baalen首先代表在場的歐洲議會議員致歡迎詞。Hans van Baalen首先表示，今天在場的歐洲朋友跨越歐洲各區域、也跨越左右翼政黨，彰顯歐洲議會對於台灣的歡迎；第二，他呼籲包括北京當局在內，大家不能只聽現在執政的國民黨的聲音，而必須傾聽包括民進黨在內的台灣人民的聲音；三、台灣與歐洲已經分享政治方面的自由，未來希望能把自由推進到經貿的領域，即推動台灣也能像韓國、日本一樣，與歐盟簽訂台歐自由貿易協定。

     蘇主席則在英文致詞時表示，非常開心在布魯塞爾與台灣在歐洲議會最好的朋友們相聚，也很高興今日可親自感謝歐洲好友們這些年來對台灣的支持。「我們由衷感謝您們的支持，而且台灣人民的感受很強烈的。」台灣今日在參與國際組織上仍遭遇許多困難，今日的台灣仍遭受軍事威脅，但我們知道我們不會孤單和徹底絕望，因為我們有像您這樣的朋友，隨時準備提供協助。

      蘇主席說，他能想到許多您們為何支持台灣的理由，但沒有任何理由勝於台灣是ㄧ個民主國家。「是的，台灣是一個民主國家，民主是我們願意在任何時刻以及付出任何代價所捍衛的價值，就如同在三十年前我們為建立民主國家而奮戰。」他說，該奮戰始於戒嚴時期，他與其他一些年輕律師在軍事法庭為1979年的政治犯辯護，這對任何想過好生活的律師而言並非明智之舉，「但不論如何，我們仍選擇如此。」我們為了熱情的理想冒著生命的危險，我們憎惡獨裁、完全缺乏人權以及無法容忍異議。

      蘇主席表示，1986年，當戒嚴仍在施行，他與其他17名成員創立了民進黨，「再一次，對任何想過好生活的人來說這不是個最好選擇，但我們再次如此選擇」。他說，他們選擇如此是因為知道這是建立民主的第一步，是擺脫暴政的最佳途徑。我們一步一步，解除戒嚴令、廢除緊急命令及舉辦國會選舉，整個過程於1996總統大選達到高點，一個民主國家就此誕生了，自由和人權也獲得保障。

      蘇主席表示，既然我們選出我們自己的總統，選我們自己的國會議員，政府在其控制的領土下行使管轄，現今台灣事實上是獨立的。他強調，這個獨立自主的現狀在未獲得台灣人民透過民主程序的同意之下，不能被改變。

      他說，台灣的民主還很年輕，我們仍有不足之處，尤其是與過去政權遺緒相關的問題。不過我認為我們會做好。我們相信人民的選擇，他們永遠知道對國家來說何對何錯，也知道誰是誰非。這些日子以來的民調顯示民進黨比所有其他政黨更加正確。「在此，我想強調」，蘇主席說，民進黨將持續是ㄧ股保衛台灣自由與民主的政治力量，捍衛人權，並做為在台灣海峽彼端遭受共產主義政權、站在歷史錯誤的ㄧ方的政權所壓迫者的ㄧ盞希望的明燈與力量。

      「今日東亞地區的戰略變動令我們憂心」，蘇主席說，中國一直在具爭議的領土和領海上擴張其「核心利益」，中國在改變現狀的強烈企圖下，近來宣布劃設東海防空識別區，涵蓋台灣、日本和南韓的部分區域。「我真地十分憂心東亞不斷上升的緊張局勢，但我非常確定我們的歐洲朋友永遠是站在和平與民主的一方，而非獨裁與擴張主義」，「台灣人民、日本和韓國等東亞民主夥伴，知道我們不會在捍衛價值與生活方式上孤軍奮戰。

      蘇主席偕同政策會執行長吳釗燮、國際部主任劉世忠、黨發言人張惇涵等訪歐團成員，今日在布魯塞爾短暫停留後，預計24日前往倫敦大學亞非學院發表英文演說，並與學者專家和青年學子座談。


附件:歐洲議會酒會致辭全文

Your Excellencies my dear friends from the European Parliament Ambassador Tung Good afternoon.

I am very happy that I come to Brussels today. I am very happy that I am in Brussels with Taiwan’s best friends in the European Parliament. I am very happy that I can finally come and say to you in person: I appreciate your support of Taiwan all these years.

Your support is heartfelt and felt strongly by the people of Taiwan. Taiwan today is still having difficulties in participating in international organizations. Taiwan today is still being threatened militarily. But we know we are not alone and completely hopeless; we have friends like you who are always ready to help.

I can think of many reasons why you would support Taiwan. But there is no other reason better than the reason that Taiwan is a democracy. Yes Taiwan is a democracy and democracy is our value that we are ready to defend at any time and at any cost in the same spirit we fought for the establishment of democracy some 30 years ago.

It started when martial law was still in effect. I and some other young lawyers defended the 1979 political prisoners in the court martial. It was not a smart move for any lawyer who wanted to make a good living but we went for it anyway. We risked our lives to go for it for a passionate cause: we were disgusted by the dictatorship disgusted by the total lack of human rights and disgusted by the zero tolerance of dissent.

  In 1986 when martial law was still in place I and 17 other members founded the DPP. Again it was not a smart move for anyone who wanted to make a good living but we went for it again. We went for it because we knew it was the first step to establish democracy and the best way to rid us of political tyranny. Step by step martial law was lifted emergency decree was abolished parliamentary elections were held and the process culminated in the presidential election in 1996. A democracy was born and freedom and human rights were protected.

Since we elect our own president elect our own members of the parliament and the government exercises exclusive jurisdiction over the territories under its control Taiwan in reality is independent now. The status quo that Taiwan is self-governed cannot be changed without the approval of the Taiwan people through democratic means.

Taiwan’s democracy is still young and we may still have problems especially the problems associated with the remnants of the past regime. But I think we will do just fine. We believe in the choice of the people who will always know what is right and what is wrong for the country and who is right and who is wrong too. The surveys these days show that the DPP is more right than all others.

Here I would like to stress that the DPP will continue to be a political force guarding Taiwan’s freedom and democracy defending human rights beyond our border and serving as a beacon light of hope and strength for those who are oppressed by the communist regime on the other side of the Taiwan Strait the regime on the wrong side of history.


Strategic dynamics in East Asia today has us worried. China has been expanding its “core interest” over disputed territories and waters. It recently announced its ADIZ to cover part of those of Taiwan Japan and Korea in an obvious attempt to change the status quo. I really worry about the rising tension in East Asia but I know for certain that our European friends will always be on the side of peace and democracy not dictatorship and expansionism. We the people of Taiwan Japan and Korea the East Asian democracies know that we will not be alone in the fight to defend our value and our way of life.

Your Excellencies my dear friends I would like to once again express my appreciation to you for your support. We in Taiwan will treasure it forever.

 

Now I would like to propose a toast:

To Friendship!   Cheers!

Thank you very much.