TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Representative to Japan Lee I-yang (李逸洋) was absent from a ceremony commemorating the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on Sunday after protesting seating arrangements that placed Taiwan's delegation outside the diplomatic section.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Japan said in a statement that Lee and Deputy Representatives Tsai Ming-yaw (蔡明耀) and Chou Shyue-yow (周學佑) did not attend the ceremony. Instead, TECO Fukuoka Office Director Chen Ming-chun (陳銘俊) was sent to represent Taiwan, according to LTN.
Lee said Taiwan's commitment to peace and democracy is well known internationally, adding that many Taiwanese were among the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 81 years ago. "Taiwan deeply bears the tragedy of World War II and hopes to demonstrate its determination to pursue peace through participation in the peace memorial ceremony," Lee said.
He noted that Taiwan was given its first opportunity to participate in the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony last year. However, the delegation was subjected to unfair treatment, with seating assigned in the international NGO section instead of the diplomatic corps.
"Unfortunately, the Nagasaki city government's pro-China attitude was evident," Lee said. "Last year, Taiwan cherished this first opportunity to demonstrate its commitment and attended with humility but immediately issued a statement protesting the unfair treatment we received."
Over the past year, several prominent pro-Taiwan Japanese lawmakers appealed to the Nagasaki City Government to improve its treatment of Taiwanese representatives, while TECO Fukuoka sought support from local councilors and nongovernmental organizations. Lee said those efforts failed to improve Taiwan's seating arrangements at this year's ceremony.
He said the Nagasaki City Government's decision to exclude Taiwan's delegation from the diplomatic section deliberately disregarded Taiwan's sovereignty and dignity.
Lee called the decision surprising given Taiwan's participation in various central and local events in Japan. At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony three days earlier, Taiwan's delegation was seated alongside representatives from Paraguay, the Holy See, Israel, India, and Armenia, according to the statement.
"Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, not subordinate to China. China has never ruled Taiwan for a single day, and Taiwan has never been a part of China," he said.
Lee also condemned what he called "the Nagasaki City Government's subservience to China's will, its belittling of Taiwan's national character, and its insult to Taiwan's dignity."
He pointed to the close relationship between Taiwan and Japan in trade, tourism, and disaster relief, saying TSMC investment in its Kumamoto plant would bring economic benefits to the Kyushu region over the next decade, including Nagasaki, per LTN.
Lee also criticized China for expanding its nuclear arsenal and conducting military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, saying Beijing is “the biggest disruptor of regional peace.” He said the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony's calls for the "abolition of nuclear weapons" and the "pursuit of peace" should be understood in the context of China's military activities.
