Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧) yesterday announced that she is to begin a sit-in and hunger strike in front of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to protest the government’s decision to allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine residue.
Although ractopamine is banned as an animal feed additive in Taiwan due to safety concerns, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced that the nation would lift its ban on imports of pork from the US, where the additive is allowed, as well as imports of beef from cattle aged 30 months or older.
Tsai at the time said that the decision was “based on our national economic interests and consistent with our overall strategic goals.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The policy is to take effect from Jan. 1.
Shen at a news conference in Taipei urged members of the public to join her protest against the government’s decision.
She also urged the legislature to hold a vote on the issue so that the names of lawmakers who vote in favor of lifting the import ban can be recorded.
Shen called on her supporters to leave comments on the Facebook pages of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators who support the policy to remind them that they must take “political responsibility.”
Shen’s supporters at the news conference held white butterfly ginger lilies in their hands, after which Shen named her protest, and chanted slogans, including: “Step down, DPP,” “Get out, dictatorship,” and “Good luck, Shen Chih-hwei.”
They also displayed signs with messages such as “Healthy Taiwanese refuse to eat leanness-
enhancing agents” “Green devil, take away your dirty hands” and “Freedom of the press is dead.”
Shen said she would continue the sit-in “until I faint.”
Responding to Shen’s announcement, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that Taiwan is a democracy and that people are free to express their opinions, adding that he hoped there would be rational discussion and good communication.
Su also urged Shen to take care of her health.
Separately, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) reiterated his call for a televised debate on the issue between him and Tsai.
“The people have had enough,” Chiang wrote on Facebook.
As the president, the leader of the DPP and the decisionmaker, it was time for Tsai to “accept the invitation to a debate, face public opinion directly, and explain the policy clearly to the public,” he said.
Additional reporting by Lee Hsin-fang
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