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Envoy’s visit to university draws small
protest group
WHAT ABOUT THE ORANGES?A legislator dismissed possible
agricultural agreements, as Beijing had yet to buy 1,800 tonnes of oranges as
promised two years ago
By Vincent Y. Chao / Staff Reporter, in YUNLIN
COUNTY
A woman in Yunlin County protesting against Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin’s visit
yesterday holds up a sign with an image of a puppet as a way of accusing China
of conducting duplicitous policies, on the one hand purchasing Taiwanese goods,
while on the other threatening the use of ballistic missiles against Taiwan.
Photo: Lin Kuo-hsien, Taipei Times
Pro-independence and Falun Gong activists arrived in Douliu (斗六), Yunlin County,
yesterday for the fourth day of vocal protests against Association for Relations
Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林).
Seeking to make themselves heard on the final day of Chen’s first visit to
southern Taiwan, protesters held small rallies at a park across from a local
university where the Chinese envoy was engaged in agricultural talks.
Local Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politicians turned out in force,
forming the bulk of protesters.
Police were more lax in the small rural agricultural city of just over 100,000
people than their colleagues keeping an eye on Chen on the first three days. No
barbed wire barricades were seen, contrasting with Chen’s earlier visits to
Chiayi and Greater Kaohsiung, although there were more than 100 officers at the
scene.
About 60 protesters, according to press estimates, held up banners with slogans
such as “We Love Taiwan” and “Learn to Respect Taiwan’s Sovereignty” held by the
pro-independence camp and “Stop the Prosecution” by Falun Gong supporters.
However, the ongoing protests continued to see a muted -turnout that was similar
to the rallies in Chiayi, Greater Kaohsiung and Taipei City over the past four
days. Local DPP organizers had initially predicted numbers would be up to 10
times higher.
The low attendance led to grumbling from local residents participating in the
protest, saying that the DPP-administered county was growing increasingly
indifferent to the Chinese envoy’s visits, a source of controversy in the past.
Yunlin County overwhelmingly voted pan-green in 2009.
DPP Yunlin County Councilor Tsai Chiu-min (蔡秋敏) led yesterday’s protests and
said that local organizers were told by the DPP to tone down the rally and were
asked to keep a more “peaceful image” ahead of coming elections.
She said that the farmer’s association which met with Chen played a significant
part in shaping local politics and that discouraged some people from protesting.
Over the past few years, large agricultural purchases by China have helped
Yunlin County’s economy, which, like Chiayi’s, is mainly based on agriculture.
However, the few local farmers and business owners present at the rally called
the Chinese envoy’s promises to buy more products from the county a “lie,”
saying that they had yet to see earlier transactions materialize.
“We are still waiting for [Beijing] to finish buying the 1,800 tonnes of oranges
it promised [two years ago],” DPP Yunlin County -Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國)
said.
Oranges are the region’s most commonly grown fruit and in 2008 Chen pledged to
facilitate their sale on the Chinese market.
“I think that what it comes down to is whether China really wants to help
Taiwan’s economy and employment rate, or if it is all a scheme to press for
unification,” Liu said.
Police intervened on two occasions, when local councilors attempted to force
themselves closer to the main gates and when a pastor drove by in a vehicle
carrying anti-Chinese slogans and blaring pro-independence jingles.
No injuries were reported from the scuffles and police cars eventually escorted
Chou Ming-wen (周明文), the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church pastor, off the road
after police officers disconnected his speaker and removed his posters.
“Chen Yunlin has no business being in Taiwan. He’s a communist bandit. The
Taiwanese people need to stand up against his visit,” Chou yelled to rousing
applause from the other protesters and local lawmakers.
The rally dispersed before noon, when Chen left the university to visit Formosa
Petrochemical Corp’s sixth naptha cracker, which is half an hour’s drive away.
Protesters shut down what was to be the last protest of his three-day visit to
southern Taiwan after organizers failed to acquire a permit to rally at the
chemical plant, which is situated on private land.
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