Dozens of activists protested yesterday against a trade pact with Beijing they claim is the result of a conspiracy between the Taiwanese and Chinese governments.
The demonstrators assembled outside the legislature, which is currently in recess, chanting slogans against the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
“The ECFA is a conspiracy of the Ma Ying-jeou administration and the Chinese Communist Party [CCP],” said Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan founder Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), the leader of the crowd, waving his fist in the air.
“If it is as good as Ma claims, then why doesn’t he let the people decide whether or not they want it?” Tsay asked.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union has filed a second referendum proposal over the ECFA after the first was turned down by the government’s Referendum Review Committee. A previous bid for a referendum, organized by the Democratic Progressive Party, was also turned down.
The group pledged to continue the protest over coming weeks as the legislature mulls an extra session to ratify the agreement.
Meanwhile, government representatives reassured the diplomatic corps yesterday that the ECFA would benefit foreign investors by bringing stability to the Asia region.
The panel of officials, however, did not fully answer sensitive questions, such as the political implications of the new cross-strait pact or how the government plans to appease dissenting voices.
Source: Taipei Times - 2010/07/06
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