The Democratic Action Alliance yesterday urged the public to join a so-called peace rally on Saturday to protest the Legislative Yuan's NT$610.8 billion (US$18.25 billion)proposed bill to buy weaponry from the US. The civil group's rally will begin at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall at 2pm and continue in a march along Ketagalan Avenue.
"Arms procurement cannot ensure the safety of Taiwan," National Taiwan University (NTU) psychology professor Huang Kuang-kuo (
The special arms procurement budget of NT$610.8 billion, approved by the Cabinet in early June, will buy eight diesel-electric submarines, six PAC-3 anti-missile systems and 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft from the US.
The price tag makes this the biggest arms purchase from the US in a decade, and has stirred complaints from lawmakers and others. The Alliance argued that the arms package is unfit for strategic use in the Taiwan Strait, and is instead tailored to the interests of the US and intended as political gamesmanship.
"The cross-strait issue is a political dilemma in which military clout hardly offers a way out," said Chang Ya-chung (
The Alliance said that the arms package violates the spirit of democracy.
"The people of Taiwan already said no to a military budget in the March 20 referendum devised by the ruling party," said Chu Hui-liang (
"If there is really a necessity for war, I want to know who we are fighting for and what we are fighting for," demanded Wang Fang-ping (
Echoing Wang's skepticism, novelist Chu Ten-hsin (
The Alliance contended that the arms deal will only inflame nationalism and squeeze out spending for social welfare. Joyce Feng (
Feng said that if the government can lavish NT$610.8 billion on weaponry, there is no reason why they cannot afford the annual pension budget. According to Feng, the pension budget has been cut for 11 straight years.
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