The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said that it will stage a sit-in at CKS International Airport today to "welcome" Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) on his return from China, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that it will not ban its members from going to the airport.
According to TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (
"We are calling on our other supporters to refrain from going because we don't want to see any of them get hurt," Lo said. "We will bring only face masks and placards, nothing else."
Lo is under investigation for his role in the violent demonstrations that took place last Tuesday when Lien left for China. Police are investigating whether Lo incited violence.
DPP caucus whip Lai Ching-te (
"It is a democratic norm to stage protests or marches," he said. "However, they have to be legal, and we will not tell our members not to go."
Lai said that the caucus' stance on the matter is consistent with that of the DPP headquarters: The party would not mobilize anyone to go and would not prevent any individual party members from mobilizing other people in the name of the party.
Those who opt to go have to abide by the law and act rationally, he said.
Lai also called on the National Police Agency and Aviation Police Office to thoroughly examine the reason for causing last Tuesday's violent incident and prevent similar occurrence from happening again.
DPP Legislator Wang Shih-chien (
Criticizing the timing of Lien's visit as "wrong" and his action as "inappropriate," Lai criticized Lien for pushing "the KMT to replace the People First Party (PFP) and other pro-China parties and becoming the most aggressive vanguard of unification forces."
"What he said in China is full of the `Greater China' thinking," he said. "He never mentioned anything about Taiwanese people's opposition to the `Anti-Secession' Law or the existence of the Republic of China, nor did he ask the Chinese government to remove the missiles targeted at us."
As Lien has said that he would endeavor to put into practice the five-point communique reached between him and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), Lai said that he is afraid that such an effort might cause social unrest and trigger conflicts.
"I am afraid it will trigger clashes between pro-unification and pro-independence forces, a battle between those safeguarding the government's authority and those attempting to strip the government of its power," he said. "It may also create conflict a between nationalism and democracy."
Legal controversy
When asked to comment on whether Lien has violated any laws during his trip, Lai said that his caucus will respect the judgment made by the Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Justice.
While some DPP lawmakers yesterday griped about the president's inconsistent remarks about Lien's trip, Lai said that it was part of the beauty of democracy and the spirit of the DPP. Another DPP caucus whip, Chen Chin-jun (
"President Chen has changed his rhetoric several times since his meeting with People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
No warning
DPP Legislator Julian Kuo (
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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