Reader's Corner: Apr 23 2008
Tue, April 29 2008
Re: Oldest WHO celebrates 60th
As the WHO regional office for Southeast Asia celebrates its 60th anniversary, we are reminded that the global health scenario has changed dramatically over the decades. Cheap and convenient transportation nowadays has facilitated the spread of diseases across borders, which makes it imperative for all nations to be part of the global health security network.
Ironically, despite Taiwan’s proximity to the Southeast Asian region and the country’s advanced health care system, it remains outside of that global health network. This has created a gap that the world will simply not be able to afford should a pandemic break out.
The WHO is working under the pretense that the People’s Republic of China, a country that has absolutely no jurisdiction over Taiwan, can speak on the island democracy’s behalf. Last year, China delayed informing Taiwan for a full 10 days regarding contaminated corn from Thailand after receiving the health alert from the WHO. And Taiwan fought on its own during the SARS outbreak because the WHO did not provide any timely information or assistance — an oversight for which China was directly responsible.
In a worst-case scenario, those who would kowtow to China’s unreasonable and reckless dictates should ask themselves: who will really suffer in case of a deadly pandemic: Will it be just the Taiwanese, or will the entire world bear the brunt of this protection gap?
Brian Su
Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office,
Vancouver, B.C.
Re: Vaisakhi Festival
Thank you for your wonderful photographs of the Vaisakhi parade in Surrey. We kept the paper for the whole family to see the photographs. It was a good keepsake for everyone who went there.
Kiranpal Bains
Surrey, B.C.
Re: Canada’s affair with Khalsa
While it is true that Vaisakhi parade organizers should have been more tactful and diplomatic and avoided needless controversy, the narrative in this story seems to have been picked up by Gurpreet straight from the propaganda mills of the arch enemy of the Sikhs — the Indian Government.
Is it a crime in a democratic country to peacefully call for the your freedom of the oppressed and protest the gross human rights abuses of the Sikhs which shamefully have been ignored by the western governments and the ignorant and biased media for diplomatic and trade considerations?
It is the media that has overblown this controversy and as usual the cowardly politicians take politically correct and media savvy positions for their own careers. After what Sikhs have gone through due to mistaken identity since 9/11, it is particularly troubling that some one with a Sikh sounding name will mention peaceful Sikh parade in Vancouver and Taliban in the same sentence.
Gurteg Singh,
New York, U.S.
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