Demonstrators in favor of unification with China rallied in Taipei City yesterday against referendums for Taiwan's membership in the UN initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
The rally was organized by approximately 20 leftist and pro-unification groups including the Alliance for Reunification with China, the China Tide Association, Labor Rights Association and the Labor Party.
"We're opposed to referendums initiated by both the pan-green and pan-blue camps for Taiwan's membership in the UN because we're already a UN member," Labor Rights Association president Wang Chuan-ping (王娟萍) said.
"China has always been a UN member. It's just that the UN seat was transferred to the People's Republic of China in the 1971," she said. "So the point should be who represents China."
Chen Fu-yu (陳福裕), vice-chairman of the China Tide Association, told the crowd that "The ultimate purpose of the DPP UN membership referendum ... is to obtain independence for Taiwan."
"The only guarantee to cross-strait peace is insisting on the `status quo' that both Taiwan and mainland [China] belong to one China," he said.
"The status quo should be maintained -- no Taiwan independence, no referendum, no return to the UN," said Liang Chien-hua (
Others said they opposed President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) more than the UN bid.
"I'm against corruption. Chen Shui-bian should step down and be jailed. Jailing Chen is the only way to Taiwan's salvation," A demonstrator said.
The Taipei Police Department estimated 12,000 people were at the rally.
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