October 25, 2008 anti-China protest
Encyclopedia
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
on October 25, 2008 sponsored by the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
(DPP) and Taiwan Solidarity Union
Taiwan Solidarity Union
The Taiwan Solidarity Union is a political party in the Republic of China which advocates Taiwan independence. It was officially founded on July 24, 2001 and is considered part of the Pan-Green Coalition. Unlike the Democratic Progressive Party, its larger companion party in the Pan-Green...
in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. This protest march was launched five months after Ma's inauguration and was preceded by an earlier August 30, 2008 protest in August which focused on Ma's failing economic plans.
The protesters marched against the protester's perceived pro-China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
policies of the Ma administration
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
. An estimated half a million people were reported to have participated in the march. It was planned by the DPP in response to the Chinese tainted milk powder scandal
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine....
and Taiwan's perceived growing ties with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC).
Cross-strait relations
The People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
claims that self-ruled Taiwan is its 23rd province. The PRC has threatened the use of force if Taiwan declares de jure independence from China.
Zhang Mingqing
Zhang Mingqing
Zhang Mingqing is, as of 2008, the vice chairperson of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits .On a visit to Taiwan in October 2008, Zhang was attacked by pro-independence protesters in Tainan . There was a scuffle during which he was pushed to the ground. The assault was filmed...
, the deputy chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, arrived in Taiwan about a week before the protest. When asked by reporters to comment on President Ma's remarks that there will be no war across the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
in the next four years, Zhang expressed that there will never be war in the Strait if there is no Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
.
During a private visit to the Taiwan Confucian Temple
Taiwan Confucian Temple
The Taiwan Confucian Temple is a Confucian temple on Nanmen Road in Tainan City, Taiwan. -History:The Tainan Confucius Temple, also called the Scholarly Temple was built in 1665 when Cheng Ching, son of Koxinga approved of the proposal by Chief of General Staff Chen Yung-hua to construct the...
in Tainan
Tainan
Tainan City is a city in southern Taiwan. It is the fifth largest after New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei. It was formerly a provincial city, and in 2010, the provincial city merged with the adjacent Tainan County to form a single special municipality. Tainan faces the Taiwan Strait in...
, Zhang fell to the ground as he encounters a small number of protesters led by the DPP
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
's Tainan City legislator Wang Ting-yu. It was not clear whether he tripped or was pushed down, but Zhang was hurt. The car that Zhang was in was attacked and damaged when a protester jumped on the top of the car. Later, Zhang remarked, "Those who commit violence do not get what they want, but instead drop a rock on their own feet." as well as "A handful of compatriots in Tainan were involved in the violence (against me). They do not reflect the true feelings of the vast majority of compatriots in Tainan, nor the 23 million people of Taiwan."
DPP's Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chu
Chen Chu
Chen Chu is a Taiwanese politician who is the current mayor of Kaohsiung. She was one of the "Kaohsiung Eight," prominent dissidents arrested after the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979...
said that any use of violence is not acceptable by the Taiwanese society and this includes the PRC's threat of force on Taiwan. She demanded President Ma to condemn the PRC's threat of force on Taiwan. She said that the export of toxic food and the thousands of missiles aimed at Taiwan are also forms of violence.
Tainted products
The safety of Chinese food productsFood safety in the People's Republic of China
Food safety in the People's Republic of China is a growing concern relating to agriculture. China's principal crops are rice, corn, wheat, soybeans, and cotton in addition to apples and other fruits and vegetables. China's principal livestock products include pork, beef, dairy, and eggs...
has become a major issue in Taiwan. The Ma administration's policy of normalising cross-strait relations has been perceived by the pro-independence supporters as forming closer ties with the PRC. The milk scandal
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine....
became not only a public health issue, but a political one as well. The government's ability to address the issue was questioned by the general public and the media. The Department of Health was heavily criticized by the Consumers' Foundation and investigated by the Control Yuan
Control Yuan
The Control Yuan , one of the five branches of the Republic of China government in Taipei, is an investigatory agency that monitors the other branches of government...
.
Other than condemning the PRC, DPP demanded that President Ma should request compensation from the PRC. DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
also criticized the government for being "weak" toward the PRC. Some Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
legislators, on the other hand, criticized the PRC government for notifying Taiwan late after the news had already been reported by Taiwanese media
Media in Taiwan
The media in Taiwan is considered to be one of the freest and most competitive in Asia. Cable TV usage is high and there is also a wide selection of newspapers available covering most political viewpoints.-Cable television:...
.
Parade routes
- "Oppose Toxic Goods" (approx. 3.9 km)
- "Oppose One China Education" (approx. 3.4 km)
- "Oppose the Hollowing Out of Sovereignty" (approx. 3.8 km)
- "Oppose a One China Market" (approx. 4.2 km)
- "Oppose the Incompetent Government" (approx. 4.8 km)
The planned starting point of the first route "Oppose Toxic Goods" was the Dinghao Plaza. Some of the politicians who took this route were former President Chen Shui-bian, former president of the World United Formosans for Independence
World United Formosans for Independence
The World United Formosans for Independence , also known as WUFI, is an organization promoting Taiwan independence. It was established in 1970 by like-minded organizations in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Taiwan...
Peng Ming-min
Peng Ming-min
Peng Ming-min is a noted Taiwan independence activist and politician. Arrested for sedition in 1964 for printing a manifesto advocating Taiwanese independence, he dramatically escaped from Taiwan to the United States and after 22 years in exile, returned to became the Democratic Progressive...
and current president Ng Chiau-tung, and former foreign minister Chen Tang-shan.
The participants of the "Oppose One China Education" route started out in front of the main gate of the National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
. Protesters are mostly students who resisted the government's policy to recognize mainland Chinese academic qualifications. Leaders of this group include DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen
Tsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
, former Kaohsiung mayor Yeh Chu-lan
Yeh Chu-lan
Yeh Chu-lan , born 1949, is a Taiwanese politician and the former acting mayor of Kaohsiung.- Rise in politics:Yeh entered politics after her husband, Cheng Nan-jung, a dissident, chose to commit suicide rather than be arrested in 1989....
, current mayor Chen Chu
Chen Chu
Chen Chu is a Taiwanese politician who is the current mayor of Kaohsiung. She was one of the "Kaohsiung Eight," prominent dissidents arrested after the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979...
, and Kaohsiung County magistrate Yang Chiu-hsing.
The third route was organized by the TSU. Protesters marched from the Longshan Temple
Longshan Temple
Mengjia Longshan Temple was built in Taipei in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers...
. The TSU convened about 20,000 people including members of Victims of Investment in China Association. The participants protested against Ma's perceived policy of "damaging Taiwan's sovereignty".
The fourth route was led by former premier Yu Shyi-kun
Yu Shyi-kun
Yu Shyi-kun , a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party, is a former chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. He previously served as Premier of the Republic of China from 2002 to 2005...
, who was accompanied by Yunlin County magistrate Su Chih-fen, deputy magistrate Lee Ying-yuan, Tainan County magistrate Su Huan-chih
Su Huan-chih
Su Huan-chih was the magistrate of Tainan County from 2001 to 2010, until Tainan County's merger into Tainan City. Born in a rural township in southern Taiwan, Su graduated from National Taiwan University. He passed the bar examination in 1986 and started his career as a lawyer.Su made his entry...
, and Tainan mayor Hsu Tain-tsair
Hsu Tain-tsair
Hsu Tain-tsair , a Taiwanese politician, served as the mayor of Tainan City from 2001 to 2010. Born in Tainan County , Hsu got his PhD candidacy in economics in the United States, where he started participating in the independence movement of Taiwan...
. Protesters held a banner with slogan "Love Yunlin
Yunlin County
Yunlin County is a county in the western part of Taiwan, the Republic of China. Yunlin is located to the right of the Taiwan Strait, the east of Nantou County and sharing a border with Changhua County divided by the Zhuoshui River. Yunlin is one of the counties of Taiwan that is part of the Chianan...
, Rebut Chen Yunlin
Chen Yunlin
Chen Yunlin is the current chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits , the body responsible for negotiations with Taiwan in the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
!" The last route "Oppose the Incompetent Government" was led by former DPP chairman Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process...
. Protesters T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s with slogans such as "Defend Taiwan" and "I am Taiwanese, not Chinese."
Demonstration
Pan-Green Coalition
The Pan-Green Coalition or Pan-Green Camp, is an informal political alliance of the Republic of China, commonly known as "Taiwan", consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party , Taiwan Solidarity Union , and the minor Taiwan Independence Party...
. Former DPP chairmen Yao Chia-wen
Yao Chia-wen
Yao Chia-wen , a Taiwanese politician, is a former President of the Examination Yuan of the government of the Republic of China . He was the second chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party .- Early life :...
, Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang
Su Tseng-chang is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party. He is the former Premier of the Republic of China. Su actively campaigned for the Presidential nomination of the DPP, but finished second to Frank Hsieh in the nomination process...
, and Yu Shyi-kun
Yu Shyi-kun
Yu Shyi-kun , a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party, is a former chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. He previously served as Premier of the Republic of China from 2002 to 2005...
all participated in the march.
Despite recent corruption controversies, former President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
also marched and took the "Oppose Toxic Goods" route, although he did not finish the route. This was Chen's last appearance at a public political event before his arrest on November 11. The DPP organizers announced that there were over 600,000 protesters.
According to the pro-independence
Taiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
Taiwan East Society , there were some pan-blue
Pan-Blue Coalition
The Pan-Blue Coalition 泛藍聯盟 or Pan-Blue Force is a political alliance in the Republic of China , consisting of the Kuomintang , the People First Party , and the New Party . The name comes from the party colours of the Kuomintang...
or Kuomintang supporters who signed up for the event. The chairman of the organization said that President Ma's pro-China policies had irritated many Taitung
Taitung County
Taitung County is a county in eastern Taiwan. The name means "Eastern Taiwan". Taitung County is also known as 後山 by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains. Taitung is officially administered as a county of Taiwan, Republic of China.Taitung runs along the south east...
residents.
Controversial officer
When protesters asked a police officer whether her boss is President Ma or not, the officer, surnamed Chou, responded that she worked for the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC). The response irritated pan-green
Pan-Green Coalition
The Pan-Green Coalition or Pan-Green Camp, is an informal political alliance of the Republic of China, commonly known as "Taiwan", consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party , Taiwan Solidarity Union , and the minor Taiwan Independence Party...
supporters, and an apology was immediately demanded. Chou apologized and left the scene.
The director of the National Police Agency Wang Cho-chiun later publicly apologized for the conduct of the officer, saying she has "damaged the police's public image." Wang also said that the officer will be punished for sure.