(Taipei, Taiwan) The Taiwan International Religious Freedom Summit (TIRF) kicked off today with powerful remarks from NGO leaders and government officials.
Organizers and Aims
This important international event is hosted by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, ChinaAid, and the IRF Secretariat. The Summit will bring together parliamentarians, activists, and survivors of persecution from around the world to highlight Taiwan’s vital role as the premier leader in the region for religious freedom and democracy.
Vice President William Lai
To start the summit, Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai spoke about the monumental occasion this is for Taiwan. Their past is riddled with a dark history of authoritarianism dictatorships. Now, because of the people of Taiwan and the pro-democracy movement, the international community is finally recognizing their progress. “Therefore,” the Vice President said, “today the people of Taiwan are enjoying democracy and religious freedom[…] at a time when international totalitarianism still exists, Taiwan also has the responsibility to repay the international community.”
President You Si-Kun
You Si-Kun, the President of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan, joined the international summit as well. He previously attended the IRF Summit in Washington DC Earlier this year. During his remarks, President You said that Taiwan has a special sympathy for suppressed countries due to their history of struggling for freedom.
Ambassador Sam Brownback
Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told Taiwan guests that those in the Grand Hotel in Taipei were some of the premier leaders for religious freedom. “They’re here because Taiwan is standing for freedom.” Ambassador Brownback continued, “It’s time for Taiwan. Taiwan is a beacon of freedom in the region.”
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett
Fellow co-chair of the event Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett focused on the existential threat to religious freedom: China. According to Dr. Swett, the Chinese Communist Party is “challenging the whole architecture of democracy and human rights[.]” In other words, it does not try to conform to the consensus model for human dignity. Instead, it tries to assert its own. This should be of grave concern to international religious freedom advocates.
Photos: Left, former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. Right, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights (ChinaAid)
Bob Fu
“It is a very hard battle, we all have to acknowledge” Bob Fu said, the founder and president of ChinaAid. Fu encouraged the leaders for religious freedom to increase their prayers for the persecuted. In the end, persecution really boils down to spiritual warfare, and “spiritual warfare must be met with spiritual weapons,” Fu continued. He also called on those in the faith community to unite against persecution against any religion, not just their own.
