Five scholars on Taiwan and legal affairs on Wednesday warned Taiwan authorities of danger if Taiwan authorities pass a proposed "law on referendum" that contains words on possible independence.

A "referendum law" containing words on Taiwan's independence, if passed, would deliver the catalyst of war into the hands of people seeking "Taiwan independence", sowing the seeds of disasters, said the scholars when meeting with journalists from Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan Wednesday.

Yu Keli, president of the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, predicted the mainland would be forced to take "decisive measures" if the law was passed with words on referendum on reunification or independence.

Such a law would provide "legal basis" for "Taiwan independence" for the forces seeking independence, which means a showdown with the mainland, Yu said.

Other experts attending the meeting included Xu Shiquan, vice president of Taiwan Studies Society, Zhu Weidong, assistant president of the Institute of Taiwan Studies of Chinese Academies of Social Sciences, Li Zhaojie, professor of Law Science at Qinghua University, and Xu Bodong, president of the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Beijing Union University.

Zhu said what Taiwan authorities have been doing has pushed the relationship between Taiwan Province and the mainland to the brink of danger, citing the "timetable of Taiwan independence" proposed by Chen Shui-bian and his moves for "Taiwan independence and nation-building".

The proposed law is at the last stage of legislation in the law-making body in Taiwan.

The Chinese government, Zhu said, has to send a clear message to Taiwan compatriots and the international community that Chen Shui-bian is crossing a "red line".

Yu said people in power may manipulate the will of the people, citing the example of Adolf Hitler. If Chen Shui-bian misleads the general public in Taiwan in the proposed referendum, just like Hitler did in Germany, the consequences will be horrible, Yu said.

"That's why we should send a message to Chen Shui-bian and other 'Taiwan independence seekers', telling them our bottom line," Yu said.

Xu said that Taiwan's move for the referendum deprives the democratic rights of 1.3 billion compatriots on the mainland and it is also dividing Taiwan itself, which "disregards human rights and tramples democracy".

As part of China, Taiwan has no right to split the country through a referendum, the experts said, citing similar examples of the referendum in Quebec in Canada and the civil war in the United States.

The experts said the United States should send a clear message of opposing "Taiwan independence" to Taiwan authorities as Chen Shui-bian is also challenging the one China policy of the United States, which would damage US interests. They believed that anti-China forces in the Untied States have sent "wrong messages" to Chen Shui-bian and "Taiwan independence" forces.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2003)