Recording the Human Rights for Taiwanese Rally in Seattle

The following was an after demonstration event summary from the author who also owns a very interesting blog that shows he knows what the most common Taiwanese greeting phrase is.

I would like to provide the link to his post on how to count yourself in as a Taiwanese American in the upcoming 2010 US Census, please tell all your Taiwanese American friends about this.

On the 2010 US Census, what should Taiwanese Americans do? http://ifreemans.org/blogs/formosa/2009/06/17/2010-us-census-race-question/

And the following is his summary to the 2009 06 02 Human Rights for Taiwanese Rally in Seattle

記錄西雅圖2009 06 02嗆馬挺人權示威運動、他馬走側門避嗆破功、台灣媒體說我們是30左右隻貓、但我們卻是200多隻虎！ 那國的總統進旅館走邊門？ 大概只有没主權的ROC吧！(note: my brief Chinese summary)

Wanted to make sure got the facts about the recent 6/02 Human Rights for Taiwanese Rally in Seattle. Seems that some of the media in Taiwan are either not reporting on it at all, or reporting it was 30 people who showed up to demand A-Bian's release.

About 200 participants showed up to protest the degradation of human rights, press freedom, and the right to a fair trial in Taiwan under Ma Ying-Jeou and KMT administration. When President Ma arrived, rally participants spotted him and immediately began calling for Ma to step down; since he was only a few meters away, it is certain that Ma heard and saw the protesters. Protesters were excited and enthusiastically called out and sang, but the rally remained peaceful.

Pro-KMT presence outside the hotel was almost nil, the few who appeared only watched from the side and seemed embarrassed to even be pro-KMT, keeping their flags rolled up and hidden. Take a look at the photos from the link below. Only a couple waved their flag as they drove out of the hotel entrance, trying to hurry out.

A flier with facts about Taiwan's history, that the majority of those living on Taiwan are Taiwanese and not Chinese, and current issues with human rights in Taiwan was given to about 500 passersby. This flier also asked people to contact their elected representatives and press for the US government to voice support for Taiwanese self-determination and human rights. Many passersby were very receptive and showed keen interest to know about the Taiwan situation since much of the world and American press remains silent on these important human rights issues. They were especially saddened to hear that the American government and State Department has been so anti-democracy and even did everything they could to force Taiwanese not to have a chance to exercise self-determination about their own future. (If you would like a copy of this flyer let me know.)

I have posted photos and video of the rally at Human Rights for Taiwanese Rally in Seattle at http://www.flickr.com/groups/twrallyseattle/

Another participant posted more photos and video on her blog http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/rainu-0911/article?mid=23478

END

My comments:

This demonstration in Seattle shows us what a peaceful demonstration should be, the police are friendly, and their jobs are simply to make sure groups with different opinions are kept away from each other to avoid potential violence. It is a good example for Taiwan’s demonstrations.

In Taiwan, there is no need for the Assembly and Parade Act, all we need is a registration process in which, on a first-come-first served basis, the different opponent groups are not going to demonstrate at the same location, and if the crowd will be very big, the different groups should be informed to demonstrate on different dates.

The police are not to intimidate demonstrators but to keep a safe distance between the demonstrators and the target person(s) being protested upon.

Unfortunately, in an abnormal Taiwanese society, the police usually know in advance that there are black-shirted thugs (KMT’s gangster supporters) that are going to be mixed in the crowd, they purposely allow these thugs to create troubles and violence, then use it (the violence) as an excuse to round-up the demonstrators but let the thugs flee and disappear in the crowd. Consequently, the police are not the protectors of people who abide by the law but an aid to those who breach the law.

Further readings on this demonstration:

Richard’s Stocks and Politics has this http://scubathugsteve.blogspot.com/2009/06/june-2nd-rally-in-seattle.html

Taipeitimes has the Activists planning to protest outside Ma's Seattle hotel