III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 542 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Government 

should continue to support democracy and human rights in Taiwan 

following the January 2012 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2012 

Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. BEGICH) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States 

Government should continue to support democracy and 

human rights in Taiwan following the January 2012 

presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan. 

Whereas, for many years, Taiwan has been a strong and cooperative partner of the United States; 

Whereas the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et 

seq.), the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations, 

declares that ‘‘the preservation and enhancement of the 

human rights of all the people of Taiwan are hereby reaffirmed as objectives of the United States’’; 

Whereas, since the lifting of martial law in 1987, the people 

of Taiwan have amply demonstrated their desire for 


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•SRES 542 IS 

democratic governance, as well as their commitment to 

human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law; 

Whereas, since their first democratic presidential election in 

1996, the people of Taiwan have conducted four more 

presidential elections, as well as successive elections for 

members of their national legislature, numerous local 

elections, and two national referendums; 

Whereas Taiwan conducted its latest presidential and legislative elections on January 14, 2012; 

Whereas, on January 14, 2012, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, the incumbent and the nominee of the Chinese Nationalist 

Party (KMT), was re-elected as the President of Taiwan 

with 51.6 percent of the vote, while in the 113-member 

legislature the KMT won 64 seats, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won 40 seats, and the People’s 

First Party (PFP), the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), 

and other non-partisan independent candidates each won 

3 seats; 

Whereas an international election observation mission made 

up of 19 observers from 8 countries, invited by the International Committee for Fair Elections in Taiwan 

(ICFET), observed the January 14, 2012, elections in 

Taiwan; 

Whereas the final report of the mission, made up of observers 

from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States, was recently presented in Taiwan; 

Whereas the final report of the mission included— 

(1) a finding that the elections were mostly free but 

only partly fair; 


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•SRES 542 IS 

(2) a finding that the date selected for the election 

made it more convenient for Taiwan businessmen in 

China to return for the vote, but made it more difficult 

for students to return to their home towns to vote, and 

a recommendation that the household registration system 

should be changed to allow people to vote where they actually work or study in Taiwan, ending the need to travel 

long distances to vote; 

(3) a finding that vote buying and vote betting remains an issue of concern, and recommendations that 

stiffer penalties be put in place for candidates who buy 

votes, such as disqualification from running in future 

elections, and that the political parties do more to prevent individual candidates from engaging in vote buying; 

(4) a finding that major violations of principles of 

administrative neutrality during the elections by government officials occurred, and a recommendation that civil 

service and non-elected offices need to be further de-politicized; 

(5) a finding that verified data does not exist on 

campaign financial resources and expenditures and it 

seemed likely that campaign spending exceeded campaign 

finance limits, and recommendations that enforcement 

and public promotion of campaign spending laws be 

strengthened and loopholes closed and that the longstanding issue of KMT party assets, including their 

source, use, and investments be resolved; 

(6) a finding that the Government of the People’s 

Republic of China attempted to influence the elections by 

sending agricultural purchasing missions to southern Taiwan as a sign of support for the sitting President, reducing the number of tourist groups allowed to travel to Taiwan to signal the ability to reduce tourism if the ‘‘wrong 


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candidate’’ won, and by discounting flights from China to 

Taiwan to make it easier for Taiwanese businessmen living in China to return to Taiwan to vote; 

(7) a finding that actions and statements by the 

United States Government and its officials might have 

influenced the elections, noting that in the three months 

preceding the election, there were more visits by highlevel United States officials to Taipei than during any 

calendar year in recent history; less than one month before the elections, the Department of State announced 

Taiwan’s candidacy for participation in the visa waiver 

program; and a senior United States official stated anonymously through the Financial Times that the DPP’s 

presidential candidate Tsai ‘‘left us with distinct doubts 

about whether she is both willing and able to continue 

the stability in cross-Strait relations the region has enjoyed in recent years’’; and 

(8) a finding that media outlets gave preferential 

treatment to a particular party or candidate based on the 

outlet’s political affiliation; 

Whereas Taiwan’s native-grown democratic experience serves 

as a model for countries in the region and around the 

world aspiring to establish democratic rule; 

Whereas Taiwan’s free and open society plays a stabilizing 

role in the Asia Pacific region and is thus conducive to 

the interests of states of the region, including the United 

States, in furthering peace, prosperity and stability; and 

Whereas the United States remains committed to the continued strengthening and development of democratic institutions in Taiwan, and to ensuring the ability of the people 

of Taiwan to determine their own future free from outside interference or coercion: Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) applauds the progress made by the people 

3 of Taiwan toward the consolidation of democracy 

4 over the past two decades, and commends their en5 during commitment to the values of democracy, rule 

6 of law, and the protection of human rights; 

7 (2) encourages the people and the Government 

8 of Taiwan to take steps to continue to strengthen 

9 the protection of democratic values and human 

10 rights in their country, including freedom of speech, 

11 freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press; 

12 (3) encourages the people and the Government 

13 of Taiwan to take into consideration the conclusions 

14 and recommendations of international election moni15 toring missions, including the final International 

16 Election Observation Mission (IEOM) report, as 

17 they seek to strengthen their democratic practices 

18 and human rights protections; 

19 (4) urges the President and Government of the 

20 United States to continue to support democracy and 

21 human rights in Taiwan; 

22 (5) encourages all outside parties to remain 

23 neutral in Taiwan’s elections; and 

24 (6) affirms that the future of Taiwan should be 

25 resolved peacefully, in accordance with democratic 


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1 principles, and with the assent of the people of Tai2 wan. 

Æ 


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