Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday delivered a tirade against Japan and the US, calling on the public to get behind the "defensive referendum" proposed by President Chen Shui-bian (
"While the US government doesn't have the guts to stand up to China, we Taiwanese people must stick together and do it for ourselves," DPP Legislator Tang Huo-shen (湯火聖) said. "We want to tell the US, Japan and the rest of the world that we want the defensive referendum and we want it for the sake of self-defense, nothing else."
Tang, speaking at a press conference yesterday morning, also upbraided the US for its unilateralism.
"A volley of opposition recently expressed by US officials, including US President George W. Bush and US Secretary of State Colin Powell, has highlighted one thing: that is, the US government cares about nothing but its own national interest. It couldn't care less about us," Tang said.
Since the US has already benefited from Taiwan politically, commercially and militarily, Tang said, Taiwan's national interest means little to the US.
"Why bother to care so much about the opinions of such a selfish friend?" Tang said.
Likening the battle over the referendum to the War of Independence, another DPP lawmaker, Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬), questioned the US government's commitment to democracy.
"I'm very curious to know why the American people can be their own lord and master but we can't," Su said.
While the nation was thrilled about the passage of the Referendum Law (
"Is this the democratic value they claim to take pride in and embrace?" Su asked.
DPP Legislator Kuo Jung-chung (
"They thought the defensive referendum was bound to fail because it lacks the support of such superpowers as Japan and the US. What they overlook here, however, is the power of the people," Kuo said.
"We want to tell the world this time around that we refuse to be a watch dog obsequiously wagging its tail before its master," Kuo said.
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Former Taiwan People’s Party chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) may apply to visit home following the death of his father this morning, the Taipei Detention Center said. Ko’s father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), passed away at 8:40am today at the Hsinchu branch of National Taiwan University Hospital. He was 94 years old. The center said Ko Wen-je was welcome to apply, but declined to say whether it had already received an application. The center also provides psychological counseling to people in detention as needed, it added, also declining to comment on Ko Wen-je’s mental state. Ko Wen-je is being held in detention as he awaits trial
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