Taiwan radicals urge violent protests

Financial Times ^ | 3-26-04 | Kathrin Hille

[tallhappy]

Taiwan radicals urge violent protests

By Kathrin Hille in Taipei

Published: March 25 2004 20:29 | Last Updated: March 25 2004 20:29

Radical elements within Taiwan's opposition are pushing for violent protests against President Chen Shui-bian.

Only a revolution could succeed in overturning Mr Chen's government, Chiu I, legislator of the People First party (PFP), told the Financial Times.

The remarks are part of a growing power struggle within the opposition that could end in its break-up. A large-scale demonstration planned for Saturday is expected to be the watershed in deciding the future of the island's landscape of political parties.

Lien Chan, chairman of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT), and James Soong, PFP chairman, have challenged Mr Chen's narrow victory in last Saturday's presidential election in the courts and by organising street protests.

Mr Chen has responded by agreeing to a vote recount, saying he understands the disappointment of opposition voters

The KMT and PFP said they expected at least 500,000 people to join the demonstration in Taipei on Friday. But both parties and different factions within the KMT were fighting over strategy.

"We need to storm the fortifications," said Mr Chiu. He said demonstrators should ram through the police barricades in front of the presidential office. "You cannot conduct a revolution if you think about your public image. Only with open conflict will we be able to scare Chen Shui-bian."

Many PFP lawmakers represent the interests of "mainlanders", the minority who came to Taiwan with the KMT when it lost the civil war in China in 1949. The party appears bent on forcing Mr Lien and Mr Soong into office, because a defeat would mean the end of Mr Soong's political career.

KMT lawmakers with mostly locally Taiwanese constituencies argue the opposition alliance should seek a compromise with Mr Chen as soon as possible. "We will forever lose those voters who make up the majority of the Taiwanese people," said a KMT legislator, who asked not to be named. Political analysts said a serious power struggle was raging within the alliance and the KMT was held together only by a threat to expel any member who openly challenged the protest against Mr Chen.

"The PFP is a one-man party so they will become marginalised once Mr Soong is defeated," said Lo Chih-cheng, executive director of the Institute for National Policy Research.

The KMT was likely to break up once Mr Lien and Mr Soong had to acknowledge final defeat, with the more local-Taiwanese- oriented faction joining the ruling camp, said Mr Lo.

Responding to grassroots demands, Annette Lu, vice-president, condemned the demonstrators for the first time and demanded that the US congratulate her and Mr Chen on their re-election by today.

[tallhappy]

In a related story former US Vice-President Al Gore has voiced his moral support for the sore losers and been hired on as a special consultant.

[color_tear]

obviously you did not read articles from Taiwan. Sore losers or justice. Any person with pea size brain can figure out the whole thing was rigged. Feel really sorry for you now!

[tallhappy]

Any person with pea size brain can figure out the whole thing was rigged.

Yes, that's what Al Gore and all those brilliant dems leftis and libs have been saying for four years.

We know you all too well.

Qin Min Gong Fei Dang

Zai Jian.

[Khurkris]

LOL..keep that tinfoil tight. Another "commie in the woodpile!"....LOL.

[moyden2000]

One wonder if the Chinese aren't behind some of this.

[Quix]

Could easily be stoolies from Beijing as far as I'm concerned.

[color_tear]

go read more articles from Taiwan and you'll know.
Dr. Henry Lee commented on TV and many prefessional
emergency room physicians in US made comments. It was
obvious a staged fake assassination and NO ONE got
cought on the spot, two shots in close range.
What made a sitting president and vice president appeared
in the same car, in open street? Use common sense.
After the fake assassination, 200,000 soldiers and polices
were not allow to vote, in the name of EMERGENCY. But the
president and vice were smiling and just fine. We all know
who those soldiers and polices were voting for.
There were so many coincidents around this election that
made people feel like watching a movie.

*** BTW, when Bien was operated on, his cloths were still
on. An emergency room doctor in US said he has never
seen a person wounded on knee and can still walk. Lu
did the magical walk.

[color_tear]

you are so full of hatred, you are willing to turn your head away from the truth. Feel so sorry for my fellow
Taiwaneses.

[Lake]

You are talking to a wrong person.

[Quix]

You could well be right.

It's not CERTAIN that you are right.

A lot of explanations could account for your points.

Your attitude of certainty is a bit . . . overblown, it seems to me.

[tallhappy]

Whom do you think I have hatred for?

[Khurkris]

"We know you all too well.
Qin Min Gong Fei Dang
Zai Jian."

This is laughable. I have tried to translate this from Mandarin, Taiwanese and Cantonese with no luck. Not only is this gibberish...its bad gibberish.

Perhaps you do not understand the Chinese language. Slogans and prattle do not translate. CONTEXT is very important.

Next time you have a 'slogan' or some talking points to post in Chinese, please do so in CONTEXT. It would help us lesser individuals understand your message.

Thanks.

[Khurkris]

You correct. He also walk into emergency room while rasing his hands and waving to crowd. The pictures from the emergency room shows NO BLOOD on his undershirt and under pants.

Both walk into hospital waving to crowd.

Is this right action after being shot in belly?

[Stentor]

5.

[tallhappy]

Have you heard the latest news.

Guo Min Dang has changed their name to Ai Ku Dang.

[Khurkris]

Latest news I've seen is re:immature people posting comments that make no sense about things they do not understand.

Little cry babies posting talking points. Bye bye.

...just too funny...lol.

[Quix]

From the looks of the first photos,

he was just grazed--not really piercing the skin. Not a biggy to show lots of injury from.

[color_tear]

you were too young to remember. PPP were worse 15-20 years ago, 100 times worse. Go dig out old news papers.