Taiwan Society appeals for support for pro-Chen rally

A pro-independence group yesterday called on 100,000 people to participate in Saturday's rally on Ketagalan Boulevard to counter the sit-in initiated by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德) to oust President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Chet Yang (楊文嘉), secretary-general of the Taiwan Society, said the group planned to invite high-ranking officials from the Presidential Office, Executive Yuan and DPP legislative caucus as well as pioneers of the nation's democratic development to attend the event.

"[The rally will be] held to safeguard the Taiwanese government and universal ideals of freedom, democracy, stability and prosperity," he said. "We will not allow anyone to infringe upon these universal ideals, nor the authority of the Presidential Office and the [Chen] administration."

Yang said the theme of the rally would be love, hope and light, which indicated that participants in the event were on the side of "the light," while demonstrators in the anti-Chen campaign were on the side of "darkness."

"We want to offer the people of Taiwan a different option," he said. "The thumbs-down gesture of Shih's demonstration signifies that [the movement] is doomed to political impotence, but our gesture symbolizes that Taiwan and its people are always in our hearts," he said.

The gesture suggested for the pro-independence event involves using the index and middle fingers of the right hand to draw a circle in the air before placing them over the heart.

Yang said neither Taiwan nor Chen would be defeated by Shih's protest, because the Taiwan Society and the people of Taiwan would stand up to voice their opposition.

Organizers of Saturday's pro-independence event also previewed an advertisement which will be shown on TV today to encourage those who have so far remained silent to come out and take a stand.

The message they wanted to get across in the ad, Yang said, was that they opposed sinicization but wanted stability, that they opposed revolution but wanted law and order and that they opposed social unrest but wanted to improve the economy.

Officials from the Presidential Office, Executive Yuan, DPP headquarters and DPP legislative caucus met at the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon to discuss how to respond to the anti-Chen protest.

DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that everyone agreed to support the Taiwan Society rally, but emphasized that every effort must be made to avoid possible conflicts.

He said the DPP Central Standing Committee would discuss whether to mobilize people for the rally at its meeting today.