Thousands of pro-independence marchers took to the streets in Taipei yesterday afternoon to demonstrate their will to defend the nation, and protest against the pan-blue opposition's ongoing obstruction of the special budget for US arms.
A policeman at the scene estimated the crowd at 20,000, but there was no official count given. Event organizers gave much higher estimates.
The march was organized by the World Federation of Taiwanese Associations and the Hand-in-Hand Taiwan Alliance. Joining them were members of the World United Formosans for Independence, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and social groups.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUN, TAIPEI TIMES
Participants assembled at 2pm at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and began streaming into the streets at 3pm, marching down Xinyi Road, Hangzhou S Road and Zhongshan S Road. The protesters ended up on Ketagelan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, where a succession of speeches was delivered by pro-independence leaders. The march was peaceful and no trouble was reported.
"All participants want to let the world know that Taiwanese hope that their country can possess advanced weapons to resist China and that they are determined to defend themselves. This is why we stand here today," Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂), the head of the alliance and chairman of World United Formosans for Independence, told the crowd.
Yesterday's parade was marked by less energy and passion than past pro-independence rallies, and important political figures such as President Chen Shui-bian (
Northern Taiwan Society chairman Wu Shuh-min (吳樹民), the executive chief of the march, suggested recalling opposition lawmakers who have boycotted the arms procurement bill.
"The Legislative Yuan has degenerated into the opposition parties' political arena since the pan-blues lost power in 2000," Wu said. "Bills concerning people's livelihood and welfare have been detained in the legislature, and the arms bill that is crucial to national security did not even obtain the rational discussion it deserves, and was vetoed 29 times because of the pan-blue lawmakers' malicious boycott."
"Such a legislature is worthless and should be recalled, because [opposition lawmakers] don't even know which country is their real motherland," Wu said.
Most of the march participants were pro-independence stalwarts who joined in the 228 Hand-in-Hand rally held last year and the large-scale march against China's "Anti-Secession" Law held on March 26.
A 53-year-old clothing factory owner, who only gave his family name, Lin (
Lin said that although the turnout yesterday seemed rather light, "I think most Taiwanese agreed that we need adequate arms to resist China and protect ourselves."
A 25-year-old man surnamed Chang (
"I support Taiwan's independence and I think Taiwan will be independent in the long run. But first and foremost, Taiwan has to have the power to protect itself," said Chang, who has taken part in pro-independence activities since college.
"Although I don't think every purchase listed in the arms sales bill is necessary, the reality is that the US will not assist in Taiwan's defense if we don't buy them," he said.
Kang, an elementary school teacher who is also 25, said that although yesterday's parade might not sway pan-blue lawmakers, through media reports of the event, the world would know that many Taiwanese are strongly committed to defending Taiwan.
AT RISK: The council reiterated that people should seriously consider the necessity of visiting China, after Beijing passed 22 guidelines to punish ‘die-hard’ separatists The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has since Jan. 1 last year received 65 petitions regarding Taiwanese who were interrogated or detained in China, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. Fifty-two either went missing or had their personal freedoms restricted, with some put in criminal detention, while 13 were interrogated and temporarily detained, he said in a radio interview. On June 21 last year, China announced 22 guidelines to punish “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists,” allowing Chinese courts to try people in absentia. The guidelines are uncivilized and inhumane, allowing Beijing to seize assets and issue the death penalty, with no regard for potential
STILL COMMITTED: The US opposes any forced change to the ‘status quo’ in the Strait, but also does not seek conflict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said US President Donald Trump’s administration released US$5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, including US$870 million in security exemptions for programs in Taiwan, a list of exemptions reviewed by Reuters showed. Trump ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid shortly after taking office on Jan. 20, halting funding for everything from programs that fight starvation and deadly diseases to providing shelters for millions of displaced people across the globe. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has said that all foreign assistance must align with Trump’s “America First” priorities, issued waivers late last month on military aid to Israel and Egypt, the
‘UNITED FRONT’ FRONTS: Barring contact with Huaqiao and Jinan universities is needed to stop China targeting Taiwanese students, the education minister said Taiwan has blacklisted two Chinese universities from conducting academic exchange programs in the nation after reports that the institutes are arms of Beijing’s United Front Work Department, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) published yesterday. China’s Huaqiao University in Xiamen and Quanzhou, as well as Jinan University in Guangzhou, which have 600 and 1,500 Taiwanese on their rolls respectively, are under direct control of the Chinese government’s political warfare branch, Cheng said, citing reports by national security officials. A comprehensive ban on Taiwanese institutions collaborating or
France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and accompanying warships were in the Philippines yesterday after holding combat drills with Philippine forces in the disputed South China Sea in a show of firepower that would likely antagonize China. The Charles de Gaulle on Friday docked at Subic Bay, a former US naval base northwest of Manila, for a break after more than two months of deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. The French carrier engaged with security allies for contingency readiness and to promote regional security, including with Philippine forces, navy ships and fighter jets. They held anti-submarine warfare drills and aerial combat training on Friday in
RSS