Several women’s rights groups gathered to stage a protest outside the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday, criticizing the government for not properly handling the melamine-tainted food scandal and urging a boycott of Chinese-made products.
The groups that participated in the protest included the Taipei Association for the Promotion of Women’s Rights (TAPWR), Sweeties Taiwan and Taiwan 21st Century Woman Association.
They gathered more than 30 supporters in front of the DOH building yesterday.
The protesters criticized the department for backtracking on melamine standards, displaying inconsistent policies on the import of high-risk products from China, causing local businesses to suffer and sparking fears about product safety.
TAPWR accused the government of confusing consumers about food safety while doing little to clear up the scandal with Chinese authorities.
The protesters urged Minister of Health Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川) to take immediate action, given that China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) is expected to visit Taiwan soon.
TAPWR also demanded that Yeh take political responsibility if more melamine-tainted products are discovered in Taiwan.
The protesters, who gathered in front of the DOH building in Taipei, brought several empty containers of milk powder and pushed them over to demonstrate their anger.
Several people held up signs and shouted slogans such as “Chinese-made products not welcome,” “China-free, fear-free” and “Black-hearted China, cold-hearted government.”
TAPWR general secretary Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英), who is also a Democratic Progressive Party legislator, told the Taipei Times during a telephone interview, “[Yeh] needs to tell it the way it is. If he did something wrong, then he should apologize.”
Huang said that if people, such as political pundits have misrepresented him or the department, then “they [Yeh and his team of experts] need to exonerate themselves with proper information in order to keep the channel of communication open with the public.”
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