[Rationale] Regarding the theft incident on 13 December at Liberty Square

At about 9 am on 13 December, a student surnamed Lai found their notebook computer was missing. Workers of the Wild Strawberry Movement, after obtaining the agreement of everyone present, began to check through the personal belongings at the site. They then found the student Lai's computer under the jacket of a man claiming to be a student from Fu Jen University's Chinese Department.

Because of the principle of presumption of innocence, students of the Wild Strawberry Movement first asked the man to explain why he had student Lai's computer. However, his words stuttered and he was unable to give a reasonable explanation. Therefore at approximately 9:30 am on the same day, the students of the Wild Strawberry Movement sought the assistance of a police officer
at the site. They reported the incident to the police. When the police checked the man's ID it was discovered that the information he had given to the Wild Strawberry Movement was false. Furthermore, he was not a student in Fu Jen University's Chinese Department.

In regard to this matter that arose, we habitually used a "rational, peaceful and nonviolent" action in accordance the movement's demands and central principle. Furthermore we refuse to make any wild accusations of guilt without proper examination. However, this matter has been reported in some sections of the media using a "Wild Strawberries violence, attempt to conceal quarrel"
form of description. In addition no students at the site or people who were present during the incident have been interviewed by the media. Therefore this one sided and incorrect information has made the students who were present feel disturbed and upset. We feel regret about this and feel very dissatisfied about the media reporting the Wild Strawberries' upholding the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" as a cover up.

Presently this matter is being investigated by the judicial system. Those present during the incident will make no further comment on this matter.

Here comes the official WS google group!

BUT everything is in Mandarin @@" If you can read, you may want to subscribe in for getting the latest information. If not, I will try to keep you updated here.

Go to 1106Action google group

[Taipei Times] INTERVIEW: Rights lawyer says Taiwan democracy under threat

Taiwan still stands as a beacon of hope for the rule of law and democratic development in Asia but recent government-related human rights violations have caused its rays to shine less brightly, said David Kilgour, a Canadian human rights lawyer, urging the public to closely monitor the administration in order to safeguard the country’s democracy.

Kilgour, the vice president of the Taiwan-Canadian Friendship Group in the Canadian parliament, a well-known international human rights lawyer and activist and a former prosecutor, was one of the invited speakers at the International Forum on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of human Rights held in Kaohsiung City on Thursday.

Citing the example of police brutality and riots last month during the visit of Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), Kilgour said many friends of Taiwan were concerned about dramatic deteriorations in the rule-of-law, human dignity and democratic practices in Taiwan in recent months. (more)

[Condole] Mr. Liu passed away

There was a man who left the world silently when the mass media was so loud. Mr. Liu, the man who committed self-immolation on the Liberty Square passed away in the early morning Dec. 14th.

News in Mandarin: Liberty Times

[Open letter] from Tibetan immigrant refugees in Taiwan

Respected ROC government and kind people
who care about the human rights of Tibetans,

With due respect, we are here to request and appeal for your urgent help. Here about 110 Tibetan illegal immigrant refugees under a very bad situation, We have nothing to do at this moment and only seek your help to refuge in Taiwan.

It is very clear to all over the world that Tibet is under China and Tibetans ae facing very big problems in and outside Tibet. Especially inside Tibet, we don't have human right, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and there is no human value for Tibetans. So at this situation, Tibetans are force to flue to nearby countries such as India, Nepal and Bhutan for better life and better education for coming generations. Even in those countries, we are facing basic problems to survive. So finally we bought Indian and Nepalese fake passport and legally enter this beautiful island for better life. We heard that Taiwan is democratic state, have human respect, human right, freedom of religion and land of equality to all cast and
tribes. But now we are in Taiwan and facing very big problem of survival. We never aspect such thing will happen in Taiwan.

We already appealed many applications to your presidential office and other related your department. Even on 12th Aug 2008, we all refugees came to your presidential office for help and even to ministry of issue. But till now your government didn't find any solution for our issue. So we are here again today for your kind help. We only seeking refugee asylum in Taiwan. We don't have country and we don't have
place to go back. Today thousands of Tibetans are all around the world
as refugees.

So last but not the least, please…please help us to give certain identification to stay legally in Taiwan. We hope that you will take this a serious matter.


With best regards
Tibetan immigrant refugees in Taiwan
====
The original complete letter:

滯台西藏難胞請願書

致關心西藏人權的台灣中華民國政府和社會善心人士：

當我們的鄉土自1959年被中共武力鎮壓統治後，幾十萬藏族同胞包括我們的精神領袖達賴喇嘛被逼流亡異國，開始艱苦的流亡生涯如今每年仍有許多藏胞為了爭取自由和人權離鄉背井翻越喜馬拉雅山流亡到印度、尼泊爾等世界各地，在僑居地因沒有國籍，永遠過著難民的生活。為了生存，我們這群西藏難胞舉債使用印度或尼泊爾護照來中華民國台灣尋求生路，不料因不識華文華語也不瞭解法律規定，雖然以合法身份入境，卻因逾期居留面臨被逮捕遣返的命運，一旦被遣返回印度、尼泊爾，又將面臨一場牢獄之災，更不幸的極可能被遣返回西藏，喪失寶貴生命。


依聯合國國際人權組織難民的定義，國際間公認將流亡海外藏胞視為國際難民（International Refugees），處理國際難民的最重要原則為「不予遣返」，依照人權的標準來看，遣返國際難民相當於意圖謀殺。我們這一群逾期居留滯台難胞，若貴政府依相關法令處理，則必須遣返西藏，若遣返印度、尼泊爾等原發照國，則服刑後依然要面臨遣返西藏的命運。

如今我們來到嚮往已久民主自由和繁榮的中華民國台灣，希望能在貴國為了維持基本生存而奮鬥，但不幸的貴國尚未有庇護國際難民相關法令，使我們從滿懷希望轉變為極度失望和挫折。身在貴國卻時時刻刻擔憂會被逮捕的惡夢，想找一份工作又因為沒有合法身份而無能為力加上沒有任何經濟來源，令我們舉步維艱，甚至日常生活都有困難。我們這一群滯台難胞衷心期盼基於人道與人權的關懷，台灣中華民國政府和社會各界善先人士能夠伸出援手給我們一條生路。這是發自滯台西藏難民的至誠心聲，希望台灣中華民國政府能夠給予我們生存的空間，使我們看到未來的陽光。為盼！

http://annpohugo.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/tibet/

FAPA Statement regarding police break-up of Wild Strawberry sit-in

December 12th , 2008
Contact: (202) 547-3686

Washington DC. Today, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) expressed its anger and dismay at the forcible removal of the "Wild Strawberries" students and a group of some 100 Tibetans from Freedom Plaza in Taipei in the night of December 10th 2008 – International Human Rights Day.

The students had been encamped at the Freedom Plaza since November 6th 2008, when they initiated the "Wild Strawberry Movement" and organized a month-long sit in on Freedom Plaza in Taipei, protesting the excessive use of force by police during the visit of Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin, and urging the Ma government to revise the Assembly and Parade Law.

FAPA considers the student sit-in a peaceful expression of concern, which is guaranteed under the principle of freedom of speech and of assembly. FAPA thus deeply regret that at 4:00 am in the early morning of December 11th, some 200+ police with shields and sticks arrived at the Plaza and first evicted a group of some 100 Tibetan refugees, who had been at the Plaza since December 9th, urging the Taiwan government to grant them residence and work permits.

Then at 5:30 am, the police moved in on the remaining group of some 40 students, who sat down on the ground, interlocking hands and arms. After considerable pushing and shoving, the students were forced on several trucks and transported back to National Taiwan University.

According to reports from Taiwan, the police moved in when the encamped students started to assist the Tibetan refugees, providing them with warm clothing against the cold, tents, food, and other supplies. The police stated that the students were evicted "…because they had not applied for a permit under the Assembly and Parade Law" – precisely the same anachronistic law the students were trying to get changed.

FAPA President Prof. Bob Yang stated that "…as Taiwanese-Americans we highly value the basic principles of human rights and democracy in Taiwan, and consider these actions by the Ma government a severe infringement on freedom of speech and of assembly." He added: "We will raise this issue in our contacts with the US State Department and with members of Congress."

Please notice that there is NO official google group opened by Wild Strawberries Movement

So far, there is no official google group of Wild Strawberries movement; we are not sure if the following google group is managed by whom that we would like to remind you, please protect your personal information and concern carefully before you add in that google group.
http://groups.google.com.tw/group/wild-strawberry1106?hl=zh-TW

[GroundReport] Taiwan Government Cracks Down on Student Protests of 'Wild Strawberries' Movement

The forced eviction of Wild Strawberries Movement at the Freedom Square this morning (Dec 11), just a few hours after the International Human Rights Day, shows the Taiwan government's hypocrisy in the implementation of human rights .

On International Human Rights Day (12/10), Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou asked the Legislature to give endorsement to two international human rights documents (the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights) to help implement human rights protection in Taiwan. The speech was made in Asian Democracy and Human Rights Award, an annual event organized by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. (more)

Demonstrations in Taiwan in the Press

[Taiwan News] Social groups in Taiwan protest KMT’s attempt to interfere in PTS operations

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The opposition Democratic Progressive Party yesterday returned the proposal made by ruling Kuomingtang Policy Committee Chief Executive Lin Yi-shih (林益世) to the Legislative Procedural Committee. Lin’s proposal to amend the Public Television Act to increase number of board member of Public Television Service has met protests by PTS employees, visual workers, Association of Taiwan Journalists (AJT) among 63 social groups for the ruling party’s attempt to intervene in PTS operations. ...


[Taipei Times] Scores of civic groups rally in support of Public Television Service

More than 60 civic organizations staged a protest outside the Legislative Yuan yesterday, demanding the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus reconsider a proposal on controlling the budget for Public Television Service (PTS). The KMT caucus froze the NT$450 million (US$13.5 million) budget for PTS for the second half of this year and has come up with a proposal that all programming budget be approved by the Government Information Office (GIO) first.

The proposal has drawn criticism from the opposition, civic groups, filmmakers and academics, who called it a KMT attempt to control the media. ...


[Taipei Times] Crowd condemns violence ahead of hearing

Accompanied by hundreds of supporters, three women who have filed lawsuits against the police for allegedly beating them during anti-China protests last month, marched to the Taipei District Court for their first court hearing yesterday. “Our judicial system is not perfect, but we still have some expectations of it. That's why we're trying to seek justice through the judiciary against police abuses,” Judicial Reform Foundation executive director Lin Feng-cheng (林峰正) told a crowd gathered at Liberty Square in support of the complainants before marching to the courthouse a few blocks away. ...

[Taipei Times] EDITORIAL: Picking off the Wild Strawberries

Enough has been said about the timing of Taipei City police in dispersing the tail of the Wild Strawberry Student Movement at Liberty Square on Thursday morning — only hours after Human Rights Day ended — so there is no need to dwell on the irony of it all.

What is of more concern here is the obliviousness of the police to their growing image as a partisan agency and the slapdash approach they use in determining when and how to enforce the law.

On Thursday, Zhongzheng First Precinct head Chen Ming-cheng (陳銘政) said that several complaints had been received about the protesters’ presence in the square. The offended parties were not identified, nor were the merits of the complaints canvassed. (more)

[The shocking irony the day after the Human Rights Day]

NB There are three very similar articles on this issues resulting from the urgent announcement back to Dec. 11st. Different people wrote about this that there are at least three versions in these days.

Less than twenty-four hours after the President Ma vowed to safeguard human rights and claimed that Taiwan enjoys the freest parades and assemblies around the world, at 3 am on December 11th, law enforcement authorities dispatched approximately 300 officers and numerous police transport wagons surrounding Liberty Square. Wild Strawberries demonstrators and approximately 100 exiled Tibetans were forcibly removed from the square via police transport wagons.

The Wild Strawberries strongly protest against such excessive police tactics to disperse the students, especially given the most recent rational and peaceful rally (on Sunday) and the subsequent publicly announced intention of leaving the Square as well as the close communication with police officers on the logistics. Clearly the new Zhongzheng Bureau chief Chen Ming-cheng (unlike his predecessor) ignored signs of good faith and refused to believe that the students were planning to leave Liberty Square, considering he forcibly removed the students at 4:00 a.m., when students were fast asleep and media reporters had left for the day. We challenge President Ma’s notion that Taiwan enjoys freedom of parade and assembly and questions whether the current Administration can only tolerate opposition voices for a month. More importantly, was unexpectedly dispersing the students at 4:00 a.m. the best response from President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Liu Chao-hsueng?

Around 3 a.m., police officers and several police transport wagons arrived at Liberty Square to prepare to remove protesters. Within the hour, officers forcibly took 111 Tibetans away and increased to four police wagons. At around 4:30 AM, more than 200 officers surrounded 40 students, who then staged an impromptu sit-in. Assistant Professor Lee Ming-tsung (of the National Taiwan University’s Department of Sociology) rushed to the square and negotiated with the police. After negotiation efforts failed, the police started to remove the students’ supplies at the Square and soon after, the students themselves. Several students were injured during the removal process; one male student was kicked by the police. One student claimed up to the Strawberry Tower and confronted with the police. Around 5:20 a.m., the police dragged and carried 40-some students onto the transport wagons.

The Wild Strawberries strongly condemn the lack of legal grounds for the police to remove the resources at Liberty Square [which were to be donated to exiled Tibetans]. As the police dispersed the exiled Tibetans, the officers pointed out that they were dissatisfied with Wild Strawberries' donations to the exiled Tibetans. Officers indicated that if the Wild Strawberries had not assisted the Tibetan protesters [with resources left over from the Wild Strawberries sit-in], they would not have forcibly dispersed the incoming protesters (exiled Tibetans). That the forcible removal by the police was the result of the Wild Strawberries helping out exiled Tibetans indicates the authoritarian nature of our current Administration as well as the Administration’s fear of more unified and collaborative citizens. In Europe and the United States, the rights of exiled Tibetans are safeguarded and humanitarian assistance is often offered. On the other hand, the Ma Administration’s hypocrisy is painfully apparent: while President Ma recently stated the H.E. Dalai Lama will be invited to visit Taiwan at the “appropriate time,” the Administration decided to forcibly remove exiled Tibetans and the Wild Strawberries (who offered assistance) during the wee hours, and only four hours after the International Human Rights Day. Police action begs the question of how President Ma can declare that Taiwan will become a human rights country.

The Wild Strawberries condemn the enforcement of the unconstitutional Parade and Asssembly Law and the unfair treatment towards the exiled Tibetans. While the Wild Strawberries were transported to the front gates of National Taiwan University via three police transport wagons [in Taipei], exiled Tibetans who are far less familiar with the city were transported to Neihu’s Dahu Park and Guandu [suburbs of Taipei]. The exiled Tibetans did not resist police efforts while dispersed, only those who speak Chinese among them shouted out “Ma Ying-jeou - please save Tibet.” According to Article 29 of the “Police Enforcement Act,” the Wild Strawberries expressed objections as the police dispersed the protesters. The Wild Strawberries will file a formal complaint and demand a full police report of the dispersion this night citing Article 29 of the “Police Enforcement Act.”


04:11

Around 3 am, police officers and several police transport wagons arrived at Liberty Square. Now the police wagons prepared to remove the Wild Strawberries and the exiled Tibetans have increased to four. Tibetans of three police wagons have been forced away. Protesters in Liberty Square now need our support. Friends who can come here please do immediately!


04:41

Within one hour, all the exiled Tibetans have been forced ways by the police. Now more than 200 officers are surrounding 40 students, who then staging an impromptu sit-in. 2 to 3 journalists who have received the information are on the way to Liberty Square.

04:48

The police has started to carry the students onto the transport wagons. Some students are claiming up to the Strawberry Tower and confronting with the police. The situation is urgent.

[1211Press Release] The day right after Human Rights Day. The governemnt exiled Tibetans and WS

On International Human Rights Day, President Ma Ying-jeou vowed to safeguard human rights, saying that “= st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Taiwan enjoys the freest parades and assemblies around the world.” Less than four hours after Human Rights Day, at 4 am on December 11th 2008, law enforcement authorities dispatched approximately 300 officers and numerous police transport wagons surrounding Liberty Square. Wild Strawberries demonstrators and approximately 100 exiled Tibetans were forcibly removed from the square via police transport wagons.

The Wild Strawberries strongly protest against such excessive police tactics to disperse the students, especially given the most recent rational and peaceful rally (on Sunday) and the subsequent publicly announced intention of leaving the Square as well as the close communication with police officers on the logistics. Clearly the new Zhongzheng Bureau chief Chen Ming-cheng (unlike his predecessor) ignored signs of good faith and refused to believe that the students were planning to leave Liberty Square, considering he forcibly removed the students at 4:00 a.m., when students were fast asleep and media reporters had left for the day. We challenge President Ma’s notion that Taiwan enjoys freedom of parade and assembly and questions whether the current Administration can only tolerate opposition voices for a month. More importantly, was unexpectedly dispersing the students at 4:00 a.m. the best response from President Ma Ying-jeou and Premier Liu Chao-hsung?



Around 4 a.m., police officers and several police transport wagons arrived at Liberty Square to prepare to remove protesters. Within the hour, officers forcibly took 111 Tibetans away and increased to four police wagons. At around 4:30 AM, more than 300 officers surrounded 40 students, who then staged an impromptu sit-in and called out “Abuse of State Power, Unconstitutional Parade and Assembly Law”. Assistant Professor Lee Ming-tsung (of the National Taiwan University’s Department of Sociology) rushed to the square and negotiated with the police. Officers indicated that if the Wild Strawberries had not assisted the Tibetan protesters [with resources left over from the Wild Strawberries sit-in], they would not have forcibly dispersed the incoming protesters (exiled Tibetans).

After negotiation efforts failed, the police started to remove the students’ supplies at the Square and soon after, the students themselves. Several students were injured during the removal process; one male student was kicked by the police. To add insult to injury, officers were disrespectful towards and ridiculed the students, all the while almost gleefully declared that they can “finally take them away.” Around 5:20 a.m., the police dragged and carried 40-some students onto the transport wagons.

The Wild Strawberries condemn the enforcement of the unconstitutional Parade and Asssembly Law and the unfair treatment towards the exiled Tibetans, who did not resist police efforts to disperse them. While the Wild Strawberries were transported to the front gates of National Taiwan University via three police transport wagons [in Taipei], exiled Tibetans who are far less familiar with the city were transported to Neihu’s Dahu Park and Guandu [suburbs of Taipei]. Towards the end of the removal operation as the police was speaking to the press, a supporter of Tibet shouted out “Ma Ying-jeou - please save Tibet.”

That the forcible removal by the police was the result of the Wild Strawberries helping out exiled Tibetans indicates the authoritarian nature of our current Administration as well as the Administration’s fear of more unified and collaborative citizens. In Europe and the United States, the rights of exiled Tibetans are safeguarded and humanitarian assistance is often offered. On the other hand, the Ma Administration’s hypocrisy is painfully apparent: while President Ma recently stated the H.E. Dalai Lama will be invited to visit Taiwan at the “appropriate time,” the Administration decided to forcibly remove exiled Tibetans and the Wild Strawberries (who offered assistance) during the wee hours, and only four hours after the International Human Rights Day. Police action begs the question of how President Ma can declare that Taiwan will become a human rights country.

Last but not least, the Wild Strawberries strongly condemn the lack of legal grounds for the police to remove the resources at Liberty Square [which were to be donated to exiled Tibetans]. The Wild Strawberries will file a formal complaint and demand a full police report citing Article 29 of the “Police Enforcement Act.”

[Taiwan News] Taiwan Wild Strawberry Movement students to form observation group in case trial against state violence

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The case filed by citizens against state violence will open at Taipei District Court Friday. The three plaintiffs, Wild Strawberry Movement students, scholars, and social groups plan to form an observation group to attend the hearing.

The observation group is formed to observe and take records of the court session. On the same day Dec. 12, social groups and student protesters will also hold a “private court” to try the state violence case at the Liberty Square. (more)

The Biggest Ironic Show in Taiwan, 4 hours after the Human Rights Day.

[Wild Strawberries, Taipei, Taiwan]
Dec 11th , 2008

After four hours of Human Rights Day, Taiwanese government forced students and Tibetan refugees to leave the Liberty Square, and moved everything students had sat up there at Dec 11th, 2008, 4 am in the dark. Handling only 30 students of Wild Strawberries Student Movement, who is protesting police violence and defend human rights, Taiwanese government used more than 300 officers with shield and weapons to circle around students, dozens of heavy-guarded buses, to drag them one by one to the buses and cleaned the Liberty Square.


While police force tried to untie students against their will to leave, several students were hurt during the process by violently beating or twisting while some policemen was laughing with arrogant attitude. One student recalled: “Yes, I remember the faces they had while they tore us down. They were laughing. They cursed us, shouting ‘finally I can chase you out! Sons of Bitch! ” Another student said that they were trying to negotiate with the police that they are going to leave peacefully, voluntarily. But this request was answered with more police with weapons at hand to surround 30 students in the center at dark.


At the north side of the Liberty Square, about 100 Tibetan refugees were also forced to walk into the police buses by themselves peacefully in the dark. They hold posters such as “I love Taiwan” and said they were in debt to come here and have stayed here several years without any legal status. Taiwanese government tried to ignore them instead of helping them. But if they got return to India or Tibet, they will get serious punishments and they’ve rather die. Most of them cannot speak Mandarin and did not resist against police at all. However, the Taiwanese police divided them deliberately into 6 buses and drove them to six different sites among the suburban mountains to “dispose” in the morning. Students of wild strawberries were trying anxiously to reach and locate them by cell phone, but Tibetans, as foreigners in Taiwan, could hardly recognize where they were in Taipei.


How could Taiwan, claiming to be a democratic, free country, did such crime without any humanity concern to Tibetans and students? How could police force imply such mean and well-planned strategies to treat an peaceful students movement and Tibetan refugees? Ironically, less than 24 hours ago, President Ma in Taiwan announced in public, saying “Taiwan is the most free country to assembly and parade in the world” in an occasion of hosting an human rights award ceremony, while two or three students and Tibetan among the audience were forced to leave. What a lie, what a show.


Why Taiwanese government ignore but tolerant the students’ movement at Liberty Square for more than one month, but suddenly they changed their mind and forced students to leave? The answer is the group of Tibetan refugee with more than 100 members, coming to Liberty Square to stay since this Tuesday. During the negotiation with police, students were warned in advance: “ If you helped those Tibetan, you can protect yourselves.” However, students share their sleeping bags, jackets, scarf, water, shelters and food with Tibetan during the night, while the weather was chilly and windy in Taipei. Students were told: “it is because you helped Tibetan, so we have to force you out!”


After the “cleaning” of Liberty Square, students and Tibetans came back to the Liberty Square after they were “abandoned” by police. Students hold an press conference together with Tibetans and announce that they are going to stay there. The representative of the Tibetan refugees also expressed his appreciation for students helps. Students of Wild Strawberries also announced their strongest support for Tibetan refugees and expressed their anger at the government’s cruel treatment on Tibetans.


How could a democratic state turn Tibetan refugee around and bully its own young people to help Tibetan refugees? This awkward attitude is the vivid image that President Ma is trying to do: to impress Beijing. Ma is busy to correct his talking about the visit of Dalai Lama recently, saying : “It is not a good time for him to visit Taiwan”, while Dalai Lama was visiting France. He then further chased out the peaceful Tibetan refugees with students in Liberty Square.


The Wild Strawberries Movement was begun at Nov 6th 2008 in Taipei, while an Chinese envoy visited Taiwan and Taiwanese government used heavy police force and heavy tactic to prevent the envoy from hearing Taiwanese protesting violence. They’ve got more than 140,000 people’s signature to support them and more than 900 scholars in Taiwan supports them as well. It was their 35 day silent sit-in at liberty square and they hold a peaceful parade this passing Sunday. They’ve announced to change their site this week and planned to leave the Liberty Square soon.


* CNN i-report: what happened at the beginning…(video) http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-156557

* How police treat students and Tibetan yesterday (news + video) http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/12/12/2003430879
http://taiwanstudentmovement2008.blogspot.com/2008/12/three-hours-after-human-rights-day.html

Liberty Square Protest

Podcast about the protests.
http://billcreata.podomatic.com/player/web/2008-12-11T04_48_52-08_00

[Taipei Times] Wild Strawberries forced to vacate Liberty Square

The Wild Strawberry Student Movement yesterday criticized the government after the surprise eviction by police early yesterday morning of the 40 student protesters and a group of Tibetan activists who remained at Liberty Square following the students’ rally on Sunday.

“[The eviction took place] less than 24 hours after President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said [at a Human Rights Day event] that people in Taiwan enjoy the most freedom to assemble and parade [in the world],” movement spokesman Lo Shih-hsiang (羅士翔) told a press conference.

“At about 5am, the students who were staging a silent sit-in at Liberty Square were besieged and removed by police along with about 100 Tibetan activists, without any warning. We are very ashamed by [the police action],” Lo said. (more)

Save Tibet / Save Taiwan

After the incident yesterday it might be a smart move to contact the tibetians and help each other:
http://www.savetibet.org/

Three hours after Human Rights Day, Tibetans and Wild Strawberries were forced away from "Liberty" Square

1211 3:30 a.m. Tibetans were forced to leave. The policemen sent all the Tibetans away by three police patrol cars; then turned to WS. Within 1.5 hour, the policemen destroyed all the houses and Strawberries tower and lifted students away brutally. Approx. 30 Wild Strawberries were moved away (like a piece of meat or some inanimate stuff) by more than 200 policemen with nightsticks and shield. Please tell me, why at night? At deep sleepy night, at 3:30?? Three hours after Human Rights Day? Are they thief? Why to force Tibetans away? They were already homeless refugees. Some of them could not even speak Mandarin. They were sent and abandoned in six different corners in Taipei. Why illegal? Did those policemen know that the law they use had already announced a violation of Constitution Law? And it is going to be revised soon in the Legislative Yuan. Who is illegal? When students ask them to sign the "disagreement with the administration decision" according to article 29 in Police Law, they refused. Do they really read the law before they became a police???

Police officer is demanding that they remove their audio / visual equipment in 30 minutes.

It is time for minuteman! Allons enfants de la Patrie,

Le jour de gloire est arrivé !

Contre nous de la tyrannie,

L'étendard sanglant est levé Arise, children of the Fatherland, The day of glory has arrived! Against us the tyranny's bloodied banner is raised

[Kmtnews] Polices Disperse “Wild Strawberry Movement” Protestors

This time KMT seems to be well prepared and have all information already on their webpage

http://www.kmtnews.net/client/eng/NewsArtical.php?REFDOCID=00az4moy1n7wilvt&TYPIDJump=00air17gdql55u7h