As the US began its military campaign against Iraq yesterday, Kuwait-based Taiwanese students fled the Middle East while hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Taipei to protest against the war.
"We've booked a flight and we'd like to leave here as soon as possible," student Wei Hsiou-jiun (
"A majority of foreign students here in the university have left. Less than 10 are still in the dormitory," Wei said, adding that the dorm used to house hundreds of foreign students.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
While the atmosphere was relatively calm in Kuwait yesterday, Wei said the university had already urged foreign students to leave the country in a timely manner.
"Yesterday when we went to the airport, things were very chaotic. Many people simply wanted to get out," Wei said.
The lack of available flights forced Wei and her schoolmate to stay another day and the two students were scheduled to leave the country yesterday evening.
Taiwan's representative offices in Kuwait, Jordan and Israel have been authorized to help evacuate nationals should the war in Iraq affects security in these countries, officials said yesterday.
"We've mapped out evacuation routes," Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (
An official from the Ministry of Education said all six Taiwanese students in Kuwait had either returned home or were on their way.
Two returned home last month and two more flew back to Taipei on Wednesday, said Li Chen-ching (李振清), director of the ministry's Bureau of International Cultural and Education Relations.
According to Li, few Taiwanese students are seeking advanced studies in the Middle East because of the religious and cultural conditions in that part of the world.
Although Taipei maintains an education cooperation pact with Jordan, no Taiwanese were studying in that country. There are several Jordanian students studying in Taiwan.
Despite the government's support for the US-led invasion of Iraq, peace activists took to the streets in Taipei yesterday to voice their opposition to the war.
Four members of the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan gathered in front of the Taipei office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) to submit around 4,000 anti-war signatures to AIT spokeswoman Judith Mudd-Krijgelmans.
Another anti-war demonstrations took place in front of AIT last night as around 30 protesters stood in the street holding torches, blocking traffic on Hsinyi Road.
Holding placards reading "Defending Iraqi People," and "1.26 Million Iraqi Children are Dying," more than 150 Taiwanese and expatriates took part in the evening protest. The demonstration was endorsed by more than 30 student, labor and women's rights groups.
Demonstrators ridiculed US President George W. Bush as a "killer." while calling the US to stop the war in order to save Iraqi lives.
"We are here to express our anger toward the US' launch of this unjust war," a demonstrator said through a loudspeaker.
Aboriginal independent Legislator May Chin (高金素梅) also spoke at the demonstration through a loudspeaker, accusing the government of having promised to spend taxpayers' money to finance US-led humanitarian aid to Iraqis.
Earlier in the day Chien said that the government has yet to forge any concrete plan to help with any humanitarian aid or post-war reconstruction
"The situation is still unfolding," Mudd-Krijgelmans said.
"Sometime in the future there'll be some kind of cooperation or some kind of discussion," she said of any US move to discuss Taiwan's role in helping with humanitarian aid or reconstruction.
"We take note of people's reaction," Mudd-Krijgelmans said of the protests, adding she respected the demonstrations as a form of freedom of expression.
After wrapping up the AIT rally, hundreds of demonstrators moved to the British Trade and Cultural Office to protest against British involvement in the war.
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