Riot police are sent in to break up a student-led movement against a trade pact with China Students and protesters hold banners and chairs inside Taiwans legislature in Taipei MORE The Taiwanese Parliament Is Being Occupied by Protesters Unhappy With a China-Trade Pact China and Taiwan Are Having Their Highest-Level Meeting Since 1949 U.S. Firms Grow Wary of China Taipei police used batons and water cannon to clear protestors from Taiwan’s parliament Monday morning. A group of several hundred demonstrators had been occupying cabinet offices Sunday night as part of a student-led movement against a trade pact with China. The mostly student protestors say the deal hands too much influence to China, is undemocratic, and will hurt the island. The government insists it is an economic imperative. By early Monday, people were being pulled from the premises. At least 58 were arrested and 137 were injured, reports the Associated Press. MORE The Taiwanese Parliament Is Being Occupied by Protesters Unhappy With a China-Trade Pact Papier-Mâché Pandas Are Taking Over the World Men Charged With Toppling Ancient Rock Formation Avoid Jail Time Huffington Post Heres An Updated Tally Of All The People Who Have Ever Died From A Marijuana Overdose Huffington Post Andrea Bocelli Marries Longtime Love in Italy People The scenes of violence seem out of place — for the movement, and for modern-day Taiwan. The student-led campaign gained momentum last week, when a group of demonstrators occupied parts of the parliament in Taipei. They are pushing for a further review of the Trade in Services Agreement, (TiSA), a deal that will open certain service sectors to investment from China, and vice versa. The demonstrators spent much of the last week gathered around the parliament chanting and waving colorful cardboard signs. They are mostly young, and their methods largely peaceful. Their emblem is a sunflower, symbol of hope. The bloody scene in Taipei harkens back to a different, darker era. On Feb. 28, 1947, the nationalist Kuomintang, violently suppressed anti-government protests, killing over 10,000. Almost four decades of martial law followed. It was not until 1986 that an opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party, emerged and a democracy slowly took root. Taiwan’s democracy has deepened and grown since, giving rise to a political culture where people take seriously their right to vote and protest. To some Chinese, particularly in Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan is a model. The island’s 2012 presidential poll was closely watched by both Special Administrative Regions. At polling stations in downtown Taipei, I met election tourists who had flown from Hong Kong to see what they called a “preview” of Chinese democracy in action. China and Taiwan have been at odds since 1949, when retreating Nationalist forces fled across the strait. The People’s Republic still sees Taiwan as a renegade province and holds out hope for unification, even by force. (Should that happen, the U.S. would be bound, by Congressional Act, to help Taiwan.) Taiwan’s current President, Ma Ying-jeou, swept to power in 2008 promising to deepen ties, and was reelected in 2012. His push for economic integration has seen cross-strait trade and tourism rise. It has also made him deeply unpopular among certain segments of the population. To the young people and opposition party supporters gathered in Taipei, TiSA is another step toward China, and a step too far. They also worry that this latest round of economic liberalization will hurt small and medium-sized businesses on the island. More fundamentally, they see TiSA as a sign of Sinification, and worry President Ma and the ruling Kuomintang are to keen to trade away the island’s hard-earned, democratic gains. President Ma’s and his government say the trade deal will bolster the economy and keep Taiwan competitive with countries like South Korea. Addressing demonstrators on Sunday, he applauded their passion, but questioned the decision to occupy government offices. “Is this the sort of democracy we want?” he asked. “Must the rule of law be sacrificed in such a manner? Do we not take pride in our democracy and our respect for rule of law?” The battle for Taipei has no doubt caught the attention of officials and ordinary people across the Taiwan Strait. The ruling Chinese Communist Party tightly controls the press and censors discussion of sensitive subjects, including Taiwan, from the country’s widely popular mircoblogs, so the reaction has been somewhat muted. A few applauded the students. Most posts that made it through the censors were critical: “This isn’t the democracy we want,” was the refrain. But it is Taiwan’s democracy, for better and for worse. And, as the past week’s events show, young Taiwanese will fight for it. time/35142/taiwan-protests-over-tisa-reveal-china-fears/
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 17:26:20 +0000