Independence group burns flag

Pro-independence activists set China's ablaze flag outside the legislature yesterday to protest what they say is the unjust imprisonment of a colleague, who has been on hunger strike since his detention on Monday.

Protesters from the Taiwan Independence Party vowed to burn a Chinese flag every day until party member Chou Chao-yang (周朝陽) is released from custody. The party maintains Chou is being treated unfairly. On Monday, Chou was arrested by police at his work for a Nov. 28, 1998 incident, in which he allegedly broke public safety and assembly codes. During that incident, Chou burned a paper Chin-ese flag in front of the Hilton Hotel, where a Chinese official was staying.

Insisting on his innocence, Chou has chosen to serve one month in jail rather than pay a fine of NT$27,000.

"While an opposition party, the DPP frequently challenged laws restricting free assembly and spee-ch," said William Huang (黃玉炎), deputy chairman and spokesman of the Taiwan Independence Party. "Now in power, they should practice what they preach."

Huang said police in 1998 failed to follow proper procedures when subduing Chou and five other protesters. He said police, before making the arrests, warned the protesters just once to disperse instead of three times as required by law.

Huang also said the government should do away with the assembly law, which he said unfairly prohibits free speech.

Soon after his imprisonment, Chou released a statement saying, "The government may take away my freedom, but it can't stop me from fighting for freedom of speech and the protection of human rights."

Since Monday, Chou has refused to eat.

In the 1998 protest, Chou and others were attempting to disrupt a meeting between Xu Ke (蘇格) -- an emissary for China's top envoy, Wang Daohan (汪道涵) -- and Taiwanese officials.

"Chou was acting in the interests of Taiwan by making known his objection to any military threat from Beijing," Huang said.

Huang also noted that following last year's presidential elections, thousands of protesters besieged the KMT's headquarters for days without official approval, but not a single person from that demonstration has received any punishment.

"I can't help but suspect the judicial system has a double standard in favor of the unification camp," said Huang, likening Chou's plight to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by Chinese authorities.

Huang said that the Taiwan Independence Party, though small in number, would take its grievances to the world.

There are more than 2,000 registered party members who are devoted to the founding of a Republic of Taiwan.

True to its word, the party has sent letters of complaint to international human rights organizations, including the UN.

"The party wants to remind the government that it must uphold fundamental liberties, or it will be voted down by the people in the elections," Huang said.

Yesterday's protest ended peacefully, despite skirmishes between the protesters and riot police.