President Ma calls on domestic groups to adopt Haiti orphans

President Ma calls on domestic groups to adopt Haiti orphans

Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Page 1

2010-01-23 12:00 AM

President Ma Ying-jeou called on domestic groups yesterday to adopt

orphans from Haiti, an action which could result in a miraculous

improvement in Taiwan's image as a humanitarian country.

Ma said the whole world had seen Taiwan's efforts to rescue victims of

the Jan. 12 earthquake in its diplomatic ally Haiti.

Several Taiwanese groups already organized the funding for adoptions

of orphans overseas, including Haiti, Ma said. If Taiwan could make a

positive contribution to the adoptions of hundreds of thousands of

Haitian orphans, it would enjoy an improved reputation, he said.

"I believe that our country's reputation will improve miraculously,

and that many difficulties will become easier to break through," Ma

said.

Even though Haiti was 20 hours flying away, Taiwanese relief supplies

kept moving to the Caribbean country, and two rescue teams had saved

two people from death and treated many injured, he said.

Within 12 hours after the earthquake struck, Taiwanese rescue teams

were on the way to help the victims, Ma said, suggesting that the next

time, they could act even faster, charter a plane and send bulldozers

and cranes.

If Taiwan succeeded in cutting carbon emissions as well as helping

Haiti, it would show each country that it could make positive

contributions to the world. Such an impression would help to remove

many obstacles, according to Ma.