When I was shocked by the news that 7.6 Richter scale earthquake hit Taiwan on Sep 21 I was almost crazy since my home is merely 30 miles far from the center of earthquake. In the meantime, I can do nothing but merely pray for my families and friends. After few hours, the rescue teams from Japan arrived Taiwan first, and others from US as well as UK arrived
later, my anxiety was relieved a little bit. In the second day, more than 1,450 deaths, 3,750 injuries were reported and more than 3,000 victims were trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. I can feel how tough the rescue works were going in competing against time. In the fifth days, when I read the news that one child trapped in the rubbles was rescued by
the Korean team I almost cried. I appreciated my officemate who is Korean and felt we are so closed the first time. I eventually knew what is humanitarian - to give the people who are suffered in the disaster your hand just in time no matter whom they are.

Unfortunately, while thousands of Taiwanese victims were trapped in the rubbles, China claimed Taiwan as its territory and insists that international rescue efforts must go through China. Even the Unite Nations, in the first day of earthquake, the rescue teams from British, Austria, Germany, Russia and Switzerland were standby but the Unite Nations itself was held back by the fact it does not recognize Taiwan and needed China's approval. You must agree that if the international rescue teams arrived Taiwan one more hour earlier more lives could be rescued from the hell. China even refused to allow the Russian rescue team to fly over its airspace, thus delaying their arrival by 12 hours. China withhold its consent to the United Nations Rescue team to go to Taiwan for two days and insisted international Red Cross rescue efforts must be channeled through China's Red Cross.

What is humanitarian? Suppose you find a victim injured in front of Purdue's clinic. Will you check the victim's student ID before you rescue the victim to the clinic? If the victim is not Purdue's student will you await Purdue's approval to rescue the victim? Do you think a humanitarian will do such stupid thing?

As a Taiwanese student at Purdue, I would like to highly appreciate the many international organizations for their great relief efforts. I would also urge the Chinese government to stop "Rubbing salt onto people wounds." As the China celebrates its 50th birthday, it is time that China should learn how to become a humanitarian not to play a troublemaker to
the people of the world.

I remembered the Friday afternoon (9/24), when I came to Young Lobby to pick up the people who wanted to join the party of Mid-Autumn & Fundraising, a young man came to me.  I though he probably needed a ride to our party. With a no smile but a serious face, he talked to me in English that he would like to donate money to help the earthquake victims at Taiwan. I was a bit surprised and asked him where he came from. He told me he is Japanese. He confirmed that I am the member of ILTC, gave me a check of $100 and then left. I read his name, Jun Miyamoto, from the check. This is the first check I got in this fundraising.

Not much later, at the same place, a Taiwanese student declined my invitation with an innocent smile by telling me that he have no time and will go to recreation center with his friends... "There are the times that try men's souls." I think it is not necessary that you should donate much money to the fundraising. But it is much much meaningful to show your considerateness to the people who were suffering the misery in the meantime.  Much much meaningful is that the disaster are in our homeland and the victims are our countrymen.