Scientology and Germany

One China, Under Beijing

The Nov. 22 letter, "Taiwan is not a 'renegade province,' " has prompted me to offer some necessary clarifications about the status of Taiwan, as it is misleading in this argument.

There is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is a part of China. This is a fact widely recognized by the international community, including the United States. UN Resolution 2758 also takes a very clear-cut position on the representation of China, saying "the representatives of the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) are the only lawful representatives of China to the United Nations...."

The government of the PRC is the sole legal government of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory - a province of China. Though the temporary division between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits remains, the status of Taiwan as a part of the PRC has never changed. It is clear enough that the "Republic of China" (ROC) is a thing of the past.

Arguing for the legitimacy of the ROC in Taiwan is obviously aimed at separating the motherland and creating "two Chinas" in the international arena, which is not only futile, but also is doomed to failure.

Liu Zhengrong

Washington

First Secretary of the Press

Chinese Embassy

Golden Alaska

The second paragraph of the Dec. 4 article, "A Gold Rush Fed by Technology," includes a preposterous statement.

The author claims that a new gold mine being opened up in Alaska is the first to operate in that state since World War II. There are tens of thousands of operating gold mines in Alaska, and almost all of these have begun operating within the last 50 years. In point of fact, Alaska leads the nation in the number of placer gold mines.

Edward C. Slagle

Falls Church, Va.

Longsuffering Turkey

As a longtime subscriber to your fine newspaper I've always thought the Monitor was fair and equitable. Yet your Dec. 2 editorial, "Iraq's Trickle of Oil," forces me to ask myself what made your editorial writers fashion a two-column article about UN Security Council Resolution 986, which will enable Iraq to sell oil worth $2 billion over a period of six months, and not once mention the Republic of Turkey.

Turkey's brave decision to close its pipelines during the 1991 Gulf war resulted in a net loss of $30 billion, creating economic havoc for the nation. Now, this oil will again begin to flow through pipelines on Turkish territory.

Mahmut Esat Ozan

Miami

German intolerance

Regarding the Nov. 18 article, "Germany's Probe Into 'Sects' Raises Religious-Freedom Issues": It is true that traditional churches are losing members and becoming weaker in Germany. However, this is a long-term situation and is in no way caused by the emergence of new religions. To a large degree, the state churches have become focused on the accumulation of wealth instead of serving the spiritual needs of their parishioners.

The German government pays "sect experts" to attack minority religions. This is not the act of a democracy. It is an act of fanatics who see no allowance for other religious views. Germany's political and religious leaders would do far better to examine their own practices to find the reason for their loss of popularity than to attack minorities.

The Church of Scientology in Germany has received more than 30 court decisions - all recognizing that Scientology is a religion and is entitled to constitutional protection. Yet the discrimination against Scientologists continues and has led to universal condemnation of Germany by international human rights bodies.

The Rev. Heber C. Jentzsch

Los Angeles

President

Church of Scientology International

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