With Saturday's planned march staged by farmers and fishermen seemingly likely to go ahead, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday called on participants to take heed of their own safety and stage the protest in a rational way.
"If the planned march on Saturday is inevitable, I'm calling on participants to conduct it in a peaceful and rational manner and watch out for your own personal safety," Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (
Irrational confrontation is not what the nation wants right now, Yu added, but instead rational negotiations and social stability.
"We've heard what you want to convey, and we've expressed our utmost sincerity to communicate with you. We should be partners not enemies," Yu said.
Yu made the remark during the weekly closed-door Cabinet affairs meeting.
Yu also asked police to try to ensure the safety of all participants.
"Although we totally respect their right to protest, I'd really hate to see a rational march deteriorate into chaotic or even bloody confrontation," Yu said.
"It's the government's obligation to make sure that each and every citizen is safe and sound. I'm asking the law enforcement officers to do their very best to safeguard the safety of the participants in the most cautious and delicate way."
Anticipating the inconvenience the event may bring to the traffic and social order of Taipei, Yu called on city residents to understand "the natural phenomenon of democracy."
Farmers and fishermen from around the country are scheduled to hold a march on Saturday to protest the government's reform measures for the co-ops of farmers' and fishermen's associations.
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