About a million Taiwanese poured onto Taipei's streets to show their anger at China's "Anti-Secession" Law, as members of the foreign community marched along with the crowds yesterday to show their support, urging the international community to pay more attention to Taiwan.
Foreigners who work or study in Taiwan either alone or gathered together in a group, joined a rally in front of National Taiwan University (NTU) yesterday afternoon to voice their opposition to China's threat of using "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan.
Walking alone in the crowd with a placard in one hand, a miniature flag in another, and a T-shirt with the Chinese-language slogan "Helping Taiwan on behalf of the United States," Jake Stevenson, a 22-year-old American from Washington, said that the "Anti-Secession" Law was a childish move by the Chinese government.
PHOTO: MO YAN-CHIH
"Taiwan has enjoyed de facto independence for years. However, China chose to ignore that fact and passed the law," Stevenson said.
"This rally provides an excellent chance for the international community to understand Taiwan's situation more. It is important for the world to know this place and hear what the Taiwanese have to say about their future," Stevenson told the Taipei Times.
Stevenson came to Taiwan about three years ago to study Mandarin. Now a sophomore at NTU's department of political science, he said that he has always viewed Taiwan as an independent country.
"It'd be a pity if people cannot unite to express their resentment of the law because of their different party affiliations," he added.
Another US citizen, Cindy Wachowski, has been in Taiwan for two-and-a-half years. She also said that Taiwan is an independent country and that the international community should respect and admit this fact.
"Beijing has never ruled or controlled Taiwan. I see Taiwan as a real country which enjoys democracy, elects its own president and issues its own passports. I think China has made a ridiculous political step in passing the law," said Wachowski, who is an English teacher at Kang Chiao Elementary School in Sindian.
Sitting on the roadside watching the crowds move along the street, Wachowski said that she heard about the passage of the "Anti-Secession" Law when she was visiting Malaysia, and was puzzled about China's decision to threaten Taiwan's independence with the law.
"I think this is a unilateral and bad decision for China. At the same time, I feel amazed to see how many people in Taiwan are willing to participate in this rally and voice their support for their country," she said.
Among the crowds gathering in front of NTU's side entrance at Xinsheng S Road was a small contingent of foreigners with placards reading "Votes, not Missiles" and "Tibet, Tiananmen, Taiwan?"
Organized through the Web site forumosa.com, an online community designed to provide foreigners in Taiwan with information about the country and a means to communicate with each other, the group said that they came to show their support for the rally.
"China has made the wrong decision in the passage of the law. The legislation drew the people in Taiwan together and they've decided to bring attention to the international community with this rally," said one member in the group, who asked not to be named.
"We [the group] join the rally to show our support, that Taiwan should enjoy independence and that we don't want Taiwan to become a communist country," he told the Taipei Times.
Brian Rawnsley, a New Zealander who has been in Taiwan for six years and is currently an English teacher, said that China has made the wrong decision to threaten Taiwan with the law, and people should draw widespread international attention with the rally.
"China's `Anti-Secession' Law [authorizes] force and `non-peaceful means' against Taiwan. It [the law] feels like a shotgun targeting the people of Taiwan," Rawnsley said.
"The significance of the rally is to show the international community that it should be up to the people of Taiwan to decide their future," he said.
Two group members, who were both from South Africa, joined the rally to support Taiwan's determination to defend its peace and democracy, which they said was something their country had had to do years go.
"We [South Africans] know what it's like to fight for a democratic and independent country, and I hope that Taiwan can be independent of China," said Michelle, who has been in Taiwan for five years teaching English. She declined to give her last name.
Another English teacher, who came to Taiwan two years ago from South Africa, criticized China as being against everything modern and democratic.
"Passing this law is stupid. Taiwan has been independent for years, and China is like a little child asking Taiwan not to declare independence," he said, adding that he wished not to be named.
As the group started to march along with other protesters toward the final destination at Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office, Joseph Tonigian from the US stood across the road observing the march on the sidelines.
While declining to comment on the rally and the "Anti-Secession" Law, Tonigian said that preventing a war from happening is the most important thing in the cross-strait relationship.
"I feel that the cross-strait relationship had made some progress before the passage of the law, such as with the Lunar New Year charter flights. I think China should continue improving its relationship with Taiwan through peaceful measures," he said.
Canadian Bryan Ferguson, who marched along with the foreigners' group, agreed.
"Taiwan needs more exposure -- such as this rally -- to tell both China and the international community that peace is the only way to go," Ferguson said.
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