PUNISHMENT? Several DPP members attended the rally despite the party’s ban, but DPP leadership said they would not be punished, because they are not candidates
Taipei Times
Date: Oct 21, 2018
By: Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
Under the Formosa Alliance’s rallying call, tens of thousands of people yesterday
Taiwanese independence supporters wave flags and shout slogans at the Formosa Alliance’s rally in Taipei yesterday to demand the right to hold a referendum on Taiwanese independence. Photo: EPA / Ritchie B. Tongo
gathered in front of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) headquarters in Taipei, demanding an amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to allow for a poll promoting Taiwanese independence and rejecting Chinese annexation.
Amendments to the act promulgated in January have lowered the thresholds for proposing and passing referendums, but proposals about changing the national territory, flag and name are still not allowed.
Shouting slogans such as “Taiwan yes, China no” and “[we] want a referendum,” nearly 130,000 people rallied outside the DPP’s headquarters, according to the alliance’s estimate at 3:30pm.
“We should tell the world that we want to establish an independent country,” alliance convener and Formosa TV (民視) chairman Kuo Bei-hung (郭倍宏) said, encouraging people to press the ruling party to amend the law again. [FULL STORY]
