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DPP’s ‘Fury’ campaign launch draws
thousands
By Rich Chang / Staff reporter
Hundreds of Taiwan opposition
members rally in front of Longshan Temple in Taipei yesterday to protest against
President Ma Ying-jeou. They blame Ma for Taiwan’s economic slowdown and for
sacrficing Taiwan’s sovereignty in seeking peace with China.
Photo: EPA
Thousands of people yesterday joined a
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rally in Taipei demanding that the government
led by the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) take
responsibility for its failure to improve the economy.
The DPP launched a one-month campaign titled “Fury (火大)” with the aim of
expressing its anger over what it perceives as the Ma government’s incompetence.
The campaign’s first rally was held at Longshan Temple (龍山寺) in Taipei yesterday
afternoon.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told the crowd that the Executive Yuan in
September promised to improve the economy within three months, but Ma at the
time said three months was too long and that instead his administration would
work to make economic improvements perceptible to the public within a month.
“A month passed, then two months passed. Now the three-month period is due to
end this month, yet signs indicating any improvement in the economy or the
public’s lives are still nowhere in sight,” Su said. “Because people’s lives are
hard, the public has to take to the streets.”
Su said that 26 years ago, the DPP’s founders gathered at Longshan Temple,
confronting the then-authoritarian KMT government and fighting for press
freedom.
“Press freedom was achieved in Taiwan. However, as a result of China’s
influence, under the Ma government, Taiwan’s media have relapsed into their
former state of less freedom and incomplete information,” he said.
“If people do not take to the streets, Ma will not know how furious the public
is,” said former premier Yu Shyi-kun, one of the DPP heavyweights who took to
the stage to address the crowd.
“Ma, step down,” Yu led the crowd in chanting after he said the Ma government
has caused a deterioration of the nation’s economy and a regression of the
nation’s democracy. He cited a recent example in which the Ministry of Education
sent an e-mail asking universities to “show concern” for and investigate
students taking part in anti-media monopoly protests.
Two “Fury” rallies will be held in Greater Taichung and Taoyuan County today,
the party said, adding that the series of rallies is scheduled to end with a
large protest in Taipei on Jan. 13 next year.
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