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Activists form a union to promote weapons budget

A group of defense experts, women's activists, Christian churches and several pan-green camp activists have established the Protect Taiwan and Our Homeland Union, and urged the public yesterday to support the Ministry of National Defense's controversial arms-procurement budget.

The union's organizers said they would be more than happy to challenge and debate those who are against the budget proposal.

People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁芳), who is considered a defense and military expert, was the first person who was mentioned as a possible opponent.

"We will be happy to discuss the matter with real `professionals,'" said Lin Cheng-yi (林正義), director of National Chengchi University's International Relations Center.

"But we refuse to waste our time debating those who are taking advantage of the issue for political purposes," Lin Cheng-yi added.

Meeting

Meanwhile, Democratic Pro-gressive Party Legislator Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) said that Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) met with him, Lin and Vice Minister of National Defense Lei Kuang-shu (雷光墅), yesterday morning.

Lee and Lei said they hoped that the arms budget could be passed by the legislature before the December legislative elections. Wang, however, did not promise anything specific, Lee said.

"He [Wang] only guaranteed that he will try to help all the lawmakers compromise and begin to review the proposal before the election. He cannot guarantee the proposal will be passed," Lee said.

Review

Lee said it is quite possible for the legislature to begin to review the arms proposal in the morning and then pass it the same afternoon.

"We have done it before and I am sure we could do it again," he said.

Lin said that the total budget (NT$610.8 billion) is way too much and the pan-blue camp will "definitely boycott or decrease" the amount during legislative meetings in the future.

"I do not see there to be any possibility for the pan-green camp to accomplish this easily," Lin said.
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