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Ma angry over blocked airport visit

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday lashed out at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for foiling his plan to visit the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday, and condemned the government for failing to improve the airport.

"The ruling party used despicable tactics to suppress the opposition party's presidential candidate. They will pay the price some day," Ma said at the Farglory Free Trade Zone in Taoyuan.

KMT Legislator Wu Chih-yang (吳志揚) had helped Ma's campaign office arrange for him to visit Terminal 2 yesterday.

The Civil Aeronautic Administration approved the application Wu filed on Monday. But on Tuesday, it rejected the plan, according to Ma's campaign staff and former National Science Council vice chairman Hsueh Hsiang-chuan (薛香川).

Ma cited survey results released by Skytrax, a company which conducts surveys for the world airline industry, which ranked Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport 20th among 27 airports in Asia.

"I was so angry to see this ranking that I wanted to cry ? The DPP can prevent me from entering the airport, but it can't stop me from promoting reform," Ma said.

He condemned the DPP for changing the title of the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, but not trying to improve it.

Ma also condemned the government for allowing DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and former DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun to make speeches in the lobby of the airport.

"We will remember this treatment, and we will return to the airport very soon," he said.

KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) took up the issue with Vice Minister of Transportation and Communications Ho Nuan-hsuen (何煖軒) at a press conference in the legislature yesterday.

"Do you see Ma as a terrorist or an illegal immigrant?" Ko asked.

Ho said that the ministry had not received any calls or letters about Ma's visit from national security authorities.

"The decision [not to allow the visit] was made in line with the airport's regulations," Ho said.

He said the site Ma wanted to visit was off-limits to the general public. Only six categories of people are allowed into the site and the passes they hold determine which parts of the site they can access, he said.
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