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Anti-pact petition
attracts attention
ONLINE DRIVE: Eighteen National Taiwan
University professors and others launched a petition calling for the government
to reopen negotiations on the agreement
By Chen Yi-ching and Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with staff
writer
An online petition protesting against the government’s rush to implement the
cross-strait service trade agreement is picking up steam, with support from
academics and leading figures from the arts and cultural sector.
The petition was launched on Tuesday by 18 artists, academics and
representatives from the publishing and media sectors who issued a joint
statement calling on the government to reopen negotiations on the pact signed in
June. As of yesterday afternoon it had attracted more than 12,000 signatures and
endorsements from 63 organizations.
The statement also demands the Legislative Yuan hold individual public hearings
on every service sub-sector covered by the pact and postpone a review of, or
voting on, the agreement until the government has released reports evaluating
its impact on Taiwan’s society, national security and service industry.
The government should recommence negotiations with China on the basis of the
results of the legislature’s item-by-item review, the statement said.
In a blog posting, award-winning screenwriter and author Neil Peng (馮光遠), one of
the campaign initiators, urged more people to sign up.
“If Taiwan is to follow the script as penned by [President] Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)
and [close Ma aide and representative to the US] King Pu-tsung (金溥聰), then
Taiwan’s democracy and its accomplishments will be burned up and turned into
ashes. If that happens, people should not complain or feel disappointed [if they
do not take action],” Peng wrote.
Liang Wen-tao (梁文韜), a political science professor at National Cheng Kung
University, posted a message on his Facebook page promoting the cause.
“Do not miss out on this campaign, we call on everyone to join in,” he wrote.
Several National Taiwan University professors are among the petition’s
initiators.
They include Shieh Ming-yan (謝銘洋), dean of the Faculty of Law, Chen Juo-shui
(陳弱水), dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Hung Chen-ling (洪貞玲), head of the
Graduate Institute of Journalism and Chang Chin-hwa (張錦華), a journalism
professor.
A number of distinguished researchers at Academia Sinica have also signed the
petition, including Liaw Yun-fan (廖運範), Cheng Tai-ann (鄭泰安), Lin Jih-wen (林繼文),
Wu Jui-jen (吳叡人) and Su Yen-tu (蘇彥圖).
Chen Hsiao-yi (陳曉宜), chairwoman of the Association of Taiwan Journalists, said
many academics and prominent business leaders, such as Locus Publishing Co
chairman Rex How (郝明義), have spoken out against the agreement.
“Yet Ma and his government officials remain indifferent to these voices and have
even tried to vilify them. We have received more than 10,000 signatures in just
a few days. This shows people are fed up with the government’s stance,” she
said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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