President Ma sent a letter on January 14 to Pope Francis of the Catholic Church in response to the Papal Message for World Day of Peace 2015.
The following is the full text of the president's letter to the pope:
Your Holiness:
The message issued by Your Holiness in celebration of the 2015 World Day of Peace—“No Longer Slaves, But Brothers and Sisters”—calls on the people of the world to courageously face the fact that slavery still exists in the world today, and to eliminate all injustice in the forms of exploitation, discrimination, and suppression. It expresses the hope that, in the light of God’s word, “we can consider all men and women ‘no longer slaves, but brothers and sisters,’” such that we may realize a truly loving and peaceful society. I was deeply moved by Your Holiness’ profound and thought-provoking views.
Many people think of slavery as a phenomenon of the past. However, Your Holiness has reminded people worldwide that, all too often, the large dominate the small and the strong subjugate the weak. Disregard for those who are at a disadvantage allows slavery to continue in various forms, such as human trafficking, prostitution, exploitation, and slave labor. This has undercut the spirit of brotherly love and peace that is the basis of relations among all humankind. Your Holiness has appealed to our love and compassion that we may unite to combat injustice and poverty, care for the disadvantaged and defenseless, and love them with a heart in union with that of Jesus Christ. This truly reflects Your Holiness’ magnanimous spirit and the greatness embodied in a religious leader.
We are outraged that lawless individuals and groups take advantage of poverty and armed conflicts to acquire illicit gains, or resort to terrorism to achieve their ends. Your Holiness has chosen the World Day of Peace to urge the international community to create a culture founded on respect, justice, and love, in which interpersonal relations are marked by equality, dignity, and absence of discrimination. Indeed, there will be peace only when we treat each other as brothers or sisters sharing a common humanity.
Helping the disadvantaged is an important element in traditional Chinese culture. It is in line with Your Holiness’ call for united combat against injustice and care for the disadvantaged, a stance with which I am in complete agreement. Let me take this opportunity to point out that the Republic of China, as a member of the international community, is committed to providing humanitarian aid, and has launched a number of initiatives in recent years that are in accord with Your Holiness’ cause of concern. Last year, for example, the ROC donated 100,000 euros through the Vatican to assist displaced refugees in northern Iraq. Bearing in mind the humanitarian disaster there, we also donated 350 prefabricated houses worth about US$1.16 million to help the refugees survive the winter months. Out of a humanitarian spirit of empathy and compassion, the ROC government has over the past two years provided a total of US$8.25 million in assistance to the Middle East.
The ROC has continued to work with nongovernmental organizations to deliver aid, via our representative offices in Jordan and Turkey, to refugees who have been affected by war. We have also been active in the global effort to fight Ebola, donating, through the Holy See’s Pontifical Council Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development, 20,000 euros to help fight the disease, and, through our partners, donating US$1 million and 100,000 suits of personal protective equipment.
We have also been active in the fight against human trafficking, and our efforts have won international affirmation. In the US State Department’s 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report, Taiwan has been named a Tier 1 country, a status we have enjoyed for five consecutive years. We hold international symposia on human trafficking every year, at which are discussed such issues as exploitation, the rights of fishermen, and the prevention of human smuggling. Such efforts are aimed at raising global awareness of human trafficking and the slavery which can result from it. In the future, we hope to establish cooperation mechanisms with more countries to achieve better results in the fight to prevent human trafficking.
The Republic of China is a peace-loving nation. Differences in political systems on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait used to lead to confrontation. However, since I took office as president in 2008, I have striven to promote peaceful interaction and negotiations. As a result, relations today are the most peaceable and stable they have been in 65 years. I trust that this will contribute to a gradual move in mainland China toward freedom.
Let me express my heartfelt admiration for Your Holiness’ use of the Message for the World Day of Peace to call for an intensified fight against modern slavery. Based on the solid diplomatic ties between our two nations, which date back 72 years, the Republic of China will continue to work with the Holy See to bring truth, freedom, justice, and peace to mainland China. We hope that the people of the world will work together for democracy, religious freedom, peace, and prosperity. We also hope that the ideals espoused in your message may inspire the hearts of many, and spur introspection, that we may create a truly loving and peaceful world.
Please accept, Your Holiness, the assurances of my highest consideration, as well as my best wishes for your personal well-being and that of the Catholic Church.
Sincerely,
Ma Ying-jeou
President
Republic of China (Taiwan)