Happening Now (Fri 5AM EST):Taiwan Rioters Threaten Presidential Residence

[Merlin]

Just spoke with a WSJ reporter who is at the scene of a demonstration which is out of control (though there are not yet any reports of injuries) in Tapei. Angry crowds have broken through the police barricades and stormed the building housing Taiwan's Central Election Commission.

The PFP, the opposition coalition partner of the KMT (Kuomintang Party), has called for open lawlessness in protest of Saturday's narrow re-election of President Chen Shui-Bian, by a margin of 0.2%, the results of which were "certified" earlier today by the Central Election Commission, in accordance with Taiwan law, touching off the organized demonstration.

Today's actions may pale in comparison to those planned for tomorrow. Some PRT Members of the raucous Taiwanese Legislature are openly calling for violence in tomorrow's demonstration. They have asked farmers and construction companies to send bulldozers so they can overcome the barricades at the Presidential residence of Chen.

(Taiwan's legislature has been the scene of numerous recent brawls used as "Zen" moments on John Stewart's US news satire TV show, "Indecision 2004")

No link yet, and I do not know if this will be covered by US TV. I'll post a link to the WSJ story as soon as it is available.

This reminds me very much of the morons in suits in FL who stormed the recount headquarters ranting and pounding on walls. Only this is evidently a much larger crowd.

Taiwan has been a democracy only since 1991. Prior to that it had been run as a ruthless dictatorship for 43 years by the KMT, the party of Chaing Kai-Shek, leader of the losing party of the wealthy class in the mainland China's communist revolution of 1948. Chen's 2000 election was the first time the KMT had relinquished power since coming to Taiwan after their defeat on the mainland 52 years earlier. Just months after his election, the PFP and KMT began efforts to both recall and impeach Chen.

Chen is a Taiwan native, born in Tainin, a southern province. His rags-to-riches success, and his relentless push for Taiwan independence, have earned him near legendary status among many in the island nation. Many call him "The RFK of Taiwan." He has succeeded politically despite nearly universal ownership of all media and the nation's establishment interests by supporters of the opposition KMT.

[maddezmom]

1. they were showing it live on BBC world

[leftchick]

2. You are so right Merlin...

<This reminds me very much of the morons in suits in FL who stormed the recount headquarters ranting and pounding on walls. Only this is evidently a much larger crowd.>

... That was my first thought also. I hope the results are better for the people of Taiwan than they were for the US!

[tkmorris]

3. I had EXACTLY the same thought

Great minds think alike, and so do we I suppose. I sincerely hope the people of Taiwan have more backbone than we did, and resist this attack on Democracy.

[leftchick]

8. they look like they took lessons from the FL thugs...

[Lexingtonian]

4. authoritarians are all alike

They like democracy only when an undemocratic majority exists and puts them in power.

And I love those inept fistfights on the parliament floor and podium.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[Moderator]

6. Link

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/03/26/taiwan.recount/index.html

[Merlin]

9. Thankyou!

:-)

[Merlin]

7. Bush administration at fault for not acknowledging Chen's win.

The reporter I spoke to said there is a growing consensus among many observers that the Bush administration's failure to acknowledge the results of the election has created the impression in Taiwan that the US will intervene to support the opposition should they be able to pull off a coup.

This is another example of either incompetence or deliberate disruption of another democracy in favor of the wealthy classes--a/k/a Haiti and Venezuela--by the failed Bush administration.

[Robbien]

10. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

from the international herald


.
China, in its strongest statement on the Taiwan election turmoil, warned on Friday that it would not stand idly by if the situation spiraled out of control.
.
"The mainland side will not sit by watching if the post-election situation in Taiwan goes out of control, leading to social turmoil, endangering the lives and property of our Taiwan flesh-and-blood brothers and harming stability across the Taiwan Strait," the policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office said in a statement.

[Jacobin]

11. Perfect pretext for China to invade and take it back

to "preserve the peace"

[Merlin]

12. An update on the situation, and some perspective.

The crowd in the square near the presidential residence is several thousand strong, growing on occassion to about 10,000.

The crowd at the Central Election Commission building is about 200 strong, and only about a dozen or so were able to break thru the barricades and get inside.

These are small numbers in a nation of 23 million.

Taiwan has strict gun control. Police are usually armed, but riot control squads often are not.

The protesters are members of the PFP party, followers of the VP candidate in last Saturday's election, Soong. Soong is the former propaganda chief under the KMT, and stands for very little except his own quest for power. His party is primarily a personality cult. These people probably have little concern for the damage they're doing to Taiwan's fledgling democracy, or the risk of sparking Chinese intervention on the pretext of quelling disorder. They're just following orders. No doubt Soong was favorably impressed by the suits who protested the FL 2000 US election.

[Layman]

13. KMT+Beijing=?

Dear Merlin,
If and when you have the time could you explain the connection between the PROC and the Kumingtang? I thought they were politicaly juxtaposed but I read a posting recently that said they're in cahoots together against Chen. Just seeking enlightenment. Thanx in advance.

[Merlin]

14. Strange Bedfellows!

Thanks for asking, Layman.

According to my close friend who is an expert, the KMT, because they were the prior establishment in China, and because they are now the monied interests(=GOP) in Taiwan, are the Taiwanese with the most to gain from closer ties with the newly industrialized, capitalistic China. So, strange as it may seem, the KMT has been seeking rapproachment.

To provide a legislative block against Chen, the KMT have allied themselves with the PFP, a party largely built around the personality of one man, Soong, a former KMT official who bolted over some slight a few years ago.

The DPP, on the other hand, the party of Chen (or A-bian, as he is colloquially known) are largely native Taiwanese, including the young people of Taiwan, who have never had any connection with the mainland. Many of the native Taiwanese are not even ethnically Chinese.

That's the thumbnail.

[Layman]

15. Strange Bedfellows Indeed!

Comrade Mao Tse-tung and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek must be spinning in their tombs. Thanks for the explanation. BTW have you heard the old joke, Richard Nixon was a strange bedfellow even before he got into politics. Cheers.

P.S. I just noticed something Merlin. Are you familiar with the name Soong? Charlie was the old man and had three daughters, one of which married the General, another, Chi-ling, married Sun Yat-sen. Wonder if there's a connection between the PFP Soong and them? Curiouser and curiouser.