Be there, or watch it live

Approximately 60% of Taiwanese of all political stripes support a referendum on the so-called "cross-Strait" [sic -- it should be between two countries] Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA, 經濟合作架構協議) which President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) insists will be signed in June.

If you can't be there either today (Thursday, May 20, 2010), tomorrow, or Saturday, you can watch the protest live via Ustream:
Online video chat by Ustream
For more info visit the ECFA Referendum Alliance (ECFA 公投行動聯盟) site directly.

And never forget what Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) said about ECFA being one step toward "complete unification of the motherland [sic]":

0:35 YouTube video: "DPP ECFA referendum ad - with English titles"

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Ballots: Taiwan, 台灣, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, 經濟合作架構協議, ECFA, referendum, 公投, protest, 抗議

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: ECFA, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, protest, referendum, Taiwan, 公投, 台灣, 抗議, 經濟合作架構協議

Step out and join the fun* on December 20

Despite the protests last November to let him know he is not welcome here, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) is coming back to Taiwan to push forward a party-to-party (Chinese Communist Party [CCP]-to-Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT]) Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) which -- in spite of the fact that at least 69% of Taiwanese do not want "unification" with China -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) has called one of the steps which "will certainly bring about complete unification of the motherland [sic]." (See the video below.)


0:35 YouTube video: "DPP ECFA referendum ad - with English titles"
Naturally, the DPP has organized several events ahead of and during Chen Yunlin's arrival. The first of these will be a march and rally in the central Taiwan city of Taichung (台中市) on Sunday, December 20, 2009.

Here's the English-language info from the Taipei Times:

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) demonstration against the government's China-leaning economic policies [Maddog note: ... and Chinese plans to annex Taiwan!] will be held on Sunday in Taichung starting at 2:30pm, the party announced yesterday, urging the public to join the protest.

[...]

Protesters will gather at 2:30pm at two locations — the intersection of Mincyuan Road (民權路) and Taichunggang Road (台中港路) and the corner of Chaoma Road (朝馬路) and Anhe Road (安和路).

The processions are expected to meet up at 5pm on Hueiwun Road (惠文路), where a rally will be held in an empty parking lot, the spokesman said.

"Everyone should come and join the protests to send a loud and clear message to President Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九] and Chen that all cross-strait issues must be conducted in an open and transparent manner. Taiwan's sovereignty must not be undermined," Chuang said, asking that protesters exercise restraint and avoid violence.

DPP Lawmaker Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) said that if the government continues to ignore public opinion, protesters could head to the Presidential Office in Taipei next.

Chuang said the DPP would also arrange smaller activities throughout the duration of the meeting from Dec. 21 to Dec. 25. Details will be finalized today by the Central Standing Committee, he said.

Other groups such as Falun Gong practitioners and human right advocates have said they will join the protests.

Meanwhile, according to a survey conducted by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), more than half of the population believes signing an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with Beijing will hurt Taiwan's economy and livelihood.

Here's a Google Map I made of the routes and rally location:


View December 20, 2009 protest against Chen Yunlin in a larger map
Here's the Chinese-language info from the Liberty Times (自由時報) [English translations mine]:

第四次江陳會將在台中市舉行，民進黨昨表明，二十日舉辦的「破黑箱．顧飯碗」大遊行，將號召至少十萬人上街，由黨主席蔡英文領軍，邀呂蘇游謝、台聯黨主席黃昆輝等人一起參與，二十一日至二十五日也規劃系列小型活動表達抗議。

Ahead of the fourth Chiang-Chen meeting to be held in Taichung, yesterday [Monday, Dec. 14] the DPP announced a "Breaking the Black Box, Protecting the Rice Bowl" march led by party chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen to take place on the 20th and called for at least 100,000 people to take to the streets. Those invited to attend include [former Vice-President Annette] Lu, Su [Tseng-chang], Yu [Shyi-kun], [Frank] Hsieh, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) chairman Huang Kun-huei, and others. A series of smaller protests is scheduled from the 21st to the 25th.

If it's at all possible, you should be there, too! In my opinion, 100,000 is far too small a number for a protest such as this.

* While it's quite a serious matter, DPP protests and rallies are usually happy affairs.

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The latest dance moves: Taiwan, 台灣, 曹長青, protest, 抗議, Chen Yunlin, 陳雲林, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, 經濟合作架構協議, ECFA

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: Chen Yunlin, ECFA, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, protest, Taiwan, 台灣, 抗議, 曹長青, 經濟合作架構協議, 陳雲林

Hungry for justice and democracy?


0:59 YouTube video: "517 Protest Ad - 呷飽沒？ 特權呷飽飽 台灣去了了"
Translation: Have you eaten yet? [a typical Taiwanese greeting]
The privileged fill their bellies while Taiwanese starve
What's a "517"?
On May 17, 2009, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) will hold a rally on Taipei's Ketagalan Blvd. (凱達格蘭大道) to protest the Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) government's pro-China policies which continue to hurt the people of Taiwan.

Since Ma took office in May 2008, 1 million people have lost their jobs, raising the measurable unemployment to 6 percent. But that doesn't tell the whole story.

Still others (like my wife) are "partially unemployed" -- that is, their hours have been cut. Others have it worse than that -- they are on forced unpaid leave.

Claiming that they want China to help rescue the economy, the Ma government continues to push policies that the public has no information about, and they keep bringing Taiwan closer and closer to being annexed by authoritarian China. They even want to sign an Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA, 經濟合作架構協議) with China, even though China will only use such an agreement to trap Taiwan and gain benefits exclusively for themselves.

Read more about that here:
EDITORIAL: ECFA: An instrument of betrayal

At the same time, the Ma government continues pushing for changes to the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法), but their proposed changes to the current law will make it more like the even more oppressive laws of Singapore.

The "fortunate sons" (and daughters and spouses) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT, 中國國民黨) aristocracy (貴族, the so-called "high-class mainlanders") get all the benefits while the people of Taiwan are growing hungrier and hungrier -- and not only for food.

Are you just gonna sit there and take it?!

Get it while it's hot!
Use your right to protest while you still can! Show the world that all the news that paints Ma Ying-jeou as "China-friendly" in contrast to former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) -- whom the media constantly painted as a "troublemaker" merely because he tried to protect Taiwan's sovereignty -- is pure propaganda to cover Ma's betrayal of Taiwan.

The only way to change things is to let the world see with their own eyes that Ma is not a "popular president."

Get your asses out there -- by the millions! -- on Sunday, May 17, 2009, and be an important part of Taiwan's history.

Times, places, themes...
Here's a map and some info about the routes:


517 march route map
(Click to enlarge)
* Route 1 (Guard Sovereignty) begins on Zhongxiao E. Rd. at the Dinghao Shopping Plaza

* Route 2 (Protect the Unemployed) begins on Minzu W. Rd. at the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium

* Route 3 (Secure Taiwan) begins at the corner of Xinsheng and Roosevelt Roads at the main gate of National Taiwan University

* Route 4 (Help the Underprivileged) begins on Bangka/Manka Avenue (in Mandarin, it's "Mengjia," but it should be pronounced in Hoklo) at the Wanhua Train Station

Here's a Google map showing all four routes.

Here's more info from the DPP web site which includes other ad spots, images, maps, and English translations of the slogans related to the themes of the protest:

「馬英九 你吃飽沒？」Are you satisfied?/Are you stuffed?

「保台灣 顧主權 救失業 護弱勢」Secure Taiwan, Guard Sovereignty, Protect Unemployed, Help Unprivileged

「反傾中 護台灣」 China no! Taiwan yes!

「反對無能政府」KMT, Kick out!/Kick out the KMT!

「反對一中市場」One China market, Go Away!

「ECFA要公投」E-C-F-A! We want a referendum! / Referendum! E-C-F-A!

「堅持主權 守護台灣」Stand for Sovereignty, Take care of Taiwan

「台灣 加油」 Viva Taiwan!

「民進黨 加油」Gear Up, DPP!

Marchers should gather at 2:00 PM and begin marching at 3:00. This will conclude with a rally on Ketagalan Blvd. (in front of the Presidential Office) at 5:00. After the rally, DPP members will stage a 24-hour sit-in.

Got posters?
Check out the designs on this page, or create your own and mail them to me (address is in the sidebar).

FURTHER READING:
* Lyrics to "Fortunate Son" on the Creedence Online web site

* A Wikipedia article about the song

* Snopes disproves the meme that the song was inspired by Al Gore, Jr. in an article which contains this poignant quote from John Fogerty himself:

Nixon was always saying 'peace with honor' and 'my country, love it or leave it,' but we knew better 'cause the guy was obviously evil.

Remember that Dick, Nixon -- the crook who sold us all out to Mao Zedong? Ma Ying-jeou is the new Nixon.

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Pixels for your brainscreen: Taiwan, 台灣, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, 經濟合作架構協議, ECFA, Assembly and Parade Law, 集會遊行法, protest, 抗議

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: Assembly and Parade Law, ECFA, Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, Ma Ying-jeou, protest, Taiwan, 台灣, 抗議, 經濟合作架構協議, 集會遊行法, 馬英九