Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday urged the organizers of a protest over plans for government pensions to refuse help from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to avoid politicizing the event.
An alliance of retired and active military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers is to take to the streets in Taipei this afternoon to protest what it called the “stigmatization” of public-sector pensioners.
The alliance said that the protest was organized to appeal for “respect for dignity and an end to defamation of character,” as well as being “a call for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to stop the bullying of state employees.”
Photo: CNA
Public-sector pensioners are often depicted as enjoying generous retirement benefits and are wrongly blamed for the problems in the pension system, the groups said.
The KMT was expected to mobilize members of its Huang Fu-hsing military veterans’ branch, its Department of Women’s Affairs and its Department of Youth Affairs and said it would set up three support stations along the protest route.
A statement from the party described the protests as a fight by civil servants against a “Cultural Revolution-style attack on pensions.”
DPP Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said the KMT is like the Kagemusha character from the martial arts film of the same name: Wherever an activity is taking place, the KMT can be seen hiding in the shadows.
“They even went on [messaging app] Line to tell party members not to wear KMT uniforms or display the party emblem,” Tsai Yi-yu said. “The colors of political struggle are as thick as ever.”
DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) said that the KMT’s support of the protest — turning it into a political event — would confuse the alliance’s demands.
Chang said he is not opposed to public servants taking to the streets to express themselves, but protest organizers should resist involvement by the KMT.
“Raising money for people to protest against pension reform looks bad from a public perspective,” Chang said, citing a letter sent by the National Civil Service Association to members of related groups asking for NT$100 from each member to prepare for a lengthy campaign.
DPP Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) said civil servants’ pensions come out of state finances and are subject to revision.
He said that veterans must have their incomes maintained, but added: “Is it fair that some such as [former vice president] Lien Chan (連戰) should be paid more than NT$200,000 per month?”
While it is normal to have protests in a democracy, the KMT should refrain from making irrational comparisons with the Cultural Revolution, Hsu said.
“The younger generation of civil servants will bear the brunt for a long time — many are in favor of implementing a retirement savings interest rate of 18 percent,” he added.
KMT Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said that the protesters had signed up for the rally of their own volition.
She said the KMT has not had much contact with them and hopes that one statement will not muddle the event’s aims.
“If the Tsai administration hears the voices of public servants, that would be a good thing for society,” Lee added.
Minister Without Portfolio Lin Wan-i (林萬億) said the protests represented a multifaceted public view, but would not have any effect on the government’s promotion of pension reform.
He called on protesters to explain when and in what way Tsai has ever bullied public servants, adding that such slanderous remarks were not helpful in the interest of public peace.
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said the protesters are within their rights to demonstrate and that society should respect that.
“Public policy encounters different perspectives as it goes through its process,” he said, adding that he hopes agreement can be reached through rational communication.
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