Taiwan V-P Hands Out Honours from Rev Moon

The Taipei Times reports on an honour bestowed on Kevin Lin, the Taiwanese long-distance (7,500km) runner and a national hero:

Vice President Annette Lu…conferred an “Ambassador of Peace” title on Lin, as well as other outstanding locals, yesterday at a ceremony hosted by the Taiwan chapter of the Universal Peace Federation, a UN-affiliated nongovernmental organization (NGO).

“In an age of increasing troubles and conflict, ambassadors of peace, such as those feted here today, are as important to us as ever,” Lu said in a keynote speech at the ceremony.

…As of yesterday, there were some 145 newly inaugurated Taiwanese Ambassadors of Peace in a global organization boasting 250,000 such “ambassadors,” said Chang Bo-ya,…chairwoman of the Women’s Federation for World Peace, Taiwan — an NGO with close ties to the Universal Peace Federation.

And the Universal Peace Federation, of course, is an initiative of Rev Sun Myung Moon of the Unification Church. Vice President Annette Lu was also present at Moon’s 2005 address in Taipei, where he revealed plans to build a bridge or tunnel across the Bering Strait. Again from the Taipei Times:

Annette Lu rapt as Moonies icon preaches about peace

…Moon declared that “spirits” have arrived on Earth to watch human beings’ every move.

“Those who stray away from the heavenly way will be punished,” he said.

Some 3,000 people, including Vice President Annette Lu,…US President George W. Bush’s younger brother Neil Bush and Washington Times president Joo Dong Moon, listened to Reverend Moon’s speech at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Lu spoke in praise of Moon’s effort to promote world harmony and “ideal families.”

Various prominent political figures have chosen to associate with Moon in recent years; I listed a few here in April, and in May, I noted that Lord Hameed, a prominent member of the UK House of Lords, had also become an “Ambassador for Peace”. The “250,000” figure, though, is exaggerated – according to the organisation’s website, there are “50,000”.