Voicing concern over the pan-blue camp's mass demonstration today, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday called on people to remain rational, while cautioning organizers to keep control of the event.
Yu also met with Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
"We would like to urge the demonstration's organizers not to let [today] become a nightmare for Taiwan's democracy," Yu said at a press conference yesterday, referring to the mass demonstration slated to be held today in front of the Presidential Office by the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-People First Party (PFP) alliance.
Entitled "sustain justice, salvage democracy and we want the truth" (拚公道, 救民主, 要真相), the demonstration could draw over half a million people. At the rally, the pan-blues will appeal for a recount and the assembly of a special task force to examine President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) gunshot wound.
A number of pan-blue legislators had warned that they would carry out a "big action" at the event today, going as far as "sacrificing their lives." Alliance Spokesman Pang Chien-kuo (龐建國) yesterday confirmed that there are pan-blue legislators who have already penned a final letter to their friends and relatives.
In view of the conflict which took place at the Central Election Commission (CEE) yesterday, where scores of demonstrators scuffled with police and hurled bricks at the office of the commission protesting against the official announcement of Chen as the president-elect, Yu said that he can't help but feel pessimistic about the pan-blue camp's planned demonstration today.
"I'd like to hereby call on KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) to stop before it is too late," said Yu. "Please keep in mind that your actions will have a prominent effect on Taiwan's democracy, ethnic harmony and international image."
Yu also called on the general public to condemn violence and remain rational.
Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
Pointing out some of the phrases used by pan-blue supporters, such as "besieging" and "taking over" the Presidential Office, Lin noted that some individuals might be interested in deliberately stirring up trouble at the event.
"In fact, there has already been some intelligence that said gangsters or other unspecified individuals will provoke conflict at eh event tomorrow," said Lin, adding that some pan-blue legislators have threatened to drive a bulldozer into the Presidential Office.
PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
"The government is poised to take all necessary measures. Legislators of the opposition parties ought not to join in committing illegal acts," Lin said.
Noting that the Taipei City Government is the one which has permitted the large-scale gathering, Lin stressed that Ma shoulders the responsibility for making sure the event concludes peacefully.
"While the Cabinet will assist the Taipei City Government, in the meantime we hope that Ma will be well-prepared to make sure that everyone attending the rally will go home safely and soundly," said Lin.
KMT Spokesman Justin Chou (
Chou added that a 5-meter-tall crying Statue of Liberty will also be erected at the event to illustrate the alliance's appeal.
The demonstration is scheduled to take place from 2pm to 5pm today.
In addition to Lien and Soong, New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
Taipei on Thursday held urban resilience air raid drills, with residents in one of the exercises’ three “key verification zones” reporting little to no difference compared with previous years, despite government pledges of stricter enforcement. Formerly known as the Wanan exercise, the air raid drills, which concluded yesterday, are now part of the “Urban Resilience Exercise,” which also incorporates the Minan disaster prevention and rescue exercise. In Taipei, the designated key verification zones — where the government said more stringent measures would be enforced — were Songshan (松山), Zhongshan (中山) and Zhongzheng (中正) districts. Air raid sirens sounded at 1:30pm, signaling the
The number of people who reported a same-sex spouse on their income tax increased 1.5-fold from 2020 to 2023, while the overall proportion of taxpayers reporting a spouse decreased by 4.4 percent from 2014 to 2023, Ministry of Finance data showed yesterday. The number of people reporting a spouse on their income tax trended upward from 2014 to 2019, the Department of Statistics said. However, the number decreased in 2020 and 2021, likely due to a drop in marriages during the COVID-19 pandemic and the income of some households falling below the taxable threshold, it said. The number of spousal tax filings rebounded
Labor rights groups yesterday called on the Ministry of Labor to protect migrant workers in Taiwan’s fishing industry, days after CNN reported alleged far-ranging abuses in the sector, including deaths and forced work. The ministry must enforce domestic labor protection laws on Taiwan-owned deep-sea fishing vessels, the Coalition for Human Rights for Migrant Fishers told a news conference outside the ministry in Taipei after presenting a petition to officials. CNN on Sunday reported that Taiwanese seafood giant FCF Co, the owners of the US-based Bumble Bee Foods, committed human rights abuses against migrant fishers, citing Indonesian migrant fishers. The alleged abuses included denying
RSS