Wild Strawberry ROCK on December 7th

10:30~22:00 Student bands and many local bands

Come to join in us and rock the whole day.
Rock for the democracy and freedom!

At Liberty Square/ Freedom Plaza. See you then!

Not forbid? Disagree? As the top academic university, NTU should reveal the attidtue towards student movement

Today (Nov. 28th) Wild Strawberries in Taipei has gathered on campus of National Taiwan University (NTU) and has successfully raised awareness and attentions to its agenda as Wild Strawberries held demonstration around the university campus. Prof , who is on hunger strike for the amendment to the referendum law, also joined students parade, delivered a succinct statement encourage the students to persist to fight for Taiwan’s democracy and liberality.
Today’s demonstration has been a success; however obtaining the demonstration clearance from the university was far less a smooth ride, as the student who was responsible for the application revealed, the university authorities had been highly alerted by the application and numerous phone calls were made, inquiring the number of demonstrators and attempts were made to interfered with the preparation for the demonstration. The abnormal and excessive inquires were stressful and the students of the Wild Strawberries movement felt pressured by the university. The university officials initially attempted to demoralize the students by spreading unofficial words around the campus, alleging the number of attending NTU students to the demonstration to be less than a handful. Combating the rumors, numerous NTU students on Friday gathered around the symbolic site, the Fu Bell that represents enlightenment at the university and proclaims “we are here today to send a strong message to the Academic Affairs Officer, that the numbers of NTU students that are supportive of the Wild Strawberries Movements are far more than what the University has anticipated.”The university authority was initially reluctant to approve the demonstration, stating “even though we would not comment on the demonstration, it does not mean we approve it” the final approval came the day before the demonstration.
NTU in the past has been the lead advocate on social movements, but the university officials’ bureaucratic mindsets seems to contradict with the university cultural where the fundamental social values such as human rights, democracy and promotion of the wellbeing of civil society are being treasured and hold in the highest regard. Students are disappointed with NTU's leadership in the cause of preserving basic human rights. The conservative, ambivalent attitudes displayed by NTU officials exposed the hypocrisy within the organization, for example, the recent denouncement by the NTU President over the alleged graft trial of the former President Chen Shui Bien, while completely overlooked the unacceptable behavior and the arrogance of President Ma and Premier Liou. This, lead us to question: why the double standards?

The students also questioned, whether the university authority has felt political pressures from above, as the KMT legislator Tsai, Zheng-yuan (蔡正元) once publicly urged the University to crack down those participated in The Movement, the university has displayed an abnormal interest on the Wild Strawberries movement as compared to other campus events. The Wild Strawberries, hereby, challenge legislator Tsai to come and face the students to engage in scholarly debates over the alleged allegations, rather than hiding in the Legislative Yuan where the proclamations made are neither verified nor true. The students also openly urging the university to step out with the students, and to resist political pressure it has been subjected to in the last few days.

Honour Chiang Kai – shek, the worlds number 4

In the list of the biggest mass murders in human history:

1.) Joseph Stalin, Communist, Soviet Union, 1929-1953, 42,672,000
2.) Mao Tse-tung, Communist, China, 1923-1976, 37,828,000
3.) Adolf Hitler, Fascist, Germany, 1933-1945, 20,946,000
4.) Chiang Kai-shek, Militarist/Fascist, China, 1921-1948, 10,214,000

The few thousand or ten thousand he killed in Taiwan could not really help him to get a better rank. Hitler was just one number to big for him. But at least Chiang –Kai – shek could die peacefully and wealthy, knowing his son would do a good job.

He receives congratulations in every local Memorial Hall (but he dislikes Democracy Memorial Halls).

[Taipei Times] Yahoo-Kimo panned for blog closure

A former Yahoo blog user nicknamed “Black Jack” has accused Internet portal Yahoo-Kimo of violating his freedom of speech after his personal blog was shut down by the company on Nov. 21. Black Jack, a 36-year-old man working in education, created a blog titled “Mango Daily” using the service provided by Yahoo-Kimo about two years ago.

Modeled on the format of the Chinese-language newspaper the Apple Daily, Black Jack’s Mango Daily published articles that promoted pro-Taiwan ideas and often made fun of pan-blue politicians. It soon gained popularity, with 2,000 to 3,000 visitors a day on average, Black Jack said. (more)

KMT rights rollback cannot be whitewashed

A flood of international criticism by global human rights organizations, democratic governments and prominent legal scholars and academics in the China and Taiwan fields has evidently touched a sore nerve in the restored rightist Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) government of President Ma Ying-jeou. (more)

Chinese Democracy

Forbidden in China. Forbidden in Taiwan soon?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtVE2bO7Zxk

[Taipei Times] Legislature holds public Assembly & Parade law hearing

While those attending a public hearing yesterday on the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法) agreed that reforms were necessary, government officials, legal activists, academics and lawmakers still held different views on whether clauses on restricted areas, the police’s power to disband demonstrations and the penalties on people who violate the law should be removed.

“It’s necessary to mark some areas as off limits for demonstrations to maintain the security of government offices,” National Chengchi University law professor Su Yung-chin (蘇永欽) told the public hearing held by the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee.(more)

"Named must your fear be before banish it you can."--Democracy in Danger: No Military on campus.

“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”
As Master Yoda said:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/11/28/2003429730 (correct link)

While people finally demonstrate against the parade and assembly law (years to late), they should recognize military instructors in schools and universities as a much bigger danger for democracy.

I visited a number of Schools and universities in my life. None of them needed any military instructors to guarantee safety on campus. I did not even know that safety in a school or University is something to worry about.

Actually in the countries I went to school and University a military instructor would be considered to be a mayor security risk and a danger for freedom and democracy.

Why a military instructor has any qualifications in counselling seems to be a hidden secrete. Usually people would hire a PhD in Psychology for such a difficult job.

So why are this guys needed? What purpose do they full fill and who controls them? Who controls the army in general?

There can only one constitution and one law in a country and its army must be under this system and not beside or above.

The first principle in a modern army in a democratic country must be to safe and honour this democracy.

Drill and discipline is necessary to make an army able to operate, but someone should not understand it as a training just to blindly follow commands (that would be fascism), but as a training to make responsible decisions under pressure, responsible in the light of ethics and constitution.

Military instructors are the opposite of what is needed. They make the society a part of the army.
In a democracy the army must be part of the society. So civil instructors would be needed in the army to teach soldiers and especially young officers the fundaments of a democratic society and the ethics they need to make decisions in a responsible way. These instructors should be independent of political influence, for example a priest or a monk or a professor of law or history or politics, …

To abolish military instructors immediately is a conditio sine qua non for a country that is even thinking about to use the word democracy to describe its political system.

As there are rumours that military instructors work as spies for the government to collect information’s about students active in the protests, it might be the time for a counter strike and photograph and identify the military instructors, as they are one of the main enemies of democracy.

They must be named to be banished.

[China Post] The Wild Strawberries have already reached thousands

‘We, the people.’ These are the first words of the constitution of the United States of America. We the people in the 21st century have given us a democratic communication structure called the Web 2.0.

The Web is representing the opinions of millions of bloggers and is used by hundreds of millions of visitors. The Web is forming a community stronger than every national government. The Web is writing the history of the future.(more)

[Taipei Times] Put an end to meddling in freedom of assembly

It has Become traditional for the annual year-end conference of the signatories to the UN Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol to be accompanied by parades, concerts and other activities worldwide to raise public awareness.

This year, the activities in Taiwan are scheduled for Dec. 6 and organizers include the Green Party Taiwan and the Taiwan Environmental Action Network (台灣環境行動網), among many others.

Unfortunately, when we applied for a permit to demonstrate, the Taipei City Government complicated the matter, while police intervened in an event promoting the activities. (more)

[Taipei Times] EDITORIAL: A slippery slope for all involved

It may not have been overly dramatic of the Wild Strawberries Student Movement to stage a mock memorial service for human rights this week at the clumsily named National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. Pan-green politicians are being held for days on end without charge; serious allegations of excessive use of force have been leveled at police; and the true purpose of the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法) came into sharp focus this month. (more)

European parliamentarian says handcuffing Chen was unnecessary

Former President Chen Shui-bian should not have been put in handcuffs when he was being taken to the court two weeks ago for a detention hearing, a visiting leader of the European parliament said in Taipei Tuesday.

Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, told members of the Taiwan press that although the principle of rule of law should be revered, "there should also be a rule of civility." (more)

Control Yuan Accepts the Petition on Abuse of Power by Police and National Security Agencies

November 24, 2008

After starting a petition to protest against government violence and support the sit-in students, the Taiwanese academia, along with groups such as the Judicial Reform Foundation and the Wild Strawberries Movement, delivered a petition and complaint to the Control Yuan regarding the illegal acts and abuse of power by the police and national security agencies during Chen Yunlin’s visit to Taiwan.

The petition calls for the Control Yuan to investigate and take legal action against the (1) National Security Council and its Secretary-General Su Chi; (2) National Security Bureau and its Director Tsai Chao-ming; as well as (3) National Police Agency and its Director-General Wang Cho-chiun. The petition enumerates examples of illegal state power abuse during Chen Yunlin’s visit to Taiwan, including road blocks at airports, in the streets, and along the sidewalks exceeding necessary and appropriate parameters; forced entry of Sunrise Records without probable cause or a warrant; false arrest and injury of a documentary maker in the vicinity of the Grand Hotel.

The petition also provides the Control Yuan supporting evidence in the form of video clips, photographs, medical reports, recordings, and police reports. NGOs will also conduct an independent investigation to shed light on recent events.

Former Grand Justice Su Chun-hsiung, Academia Sinica Research Fellow Chu Hei-yuan, and Chang Chin-hua of National Taiwan University’s School of Journalism pointed out that the Control Yuan has the responsibility and obligation to follow protocols, conduct a fair and transparent investigation, and censure individuals who abused authority and power.
Control Yuan members Huang Huang-hsiung and Liu Hsing-shan jointly accepted the petition. Mr. Huang will be responsible for the case and has promised to conclude the investigation and deliver results within three months.

The Wild Strawberries Movement agrees with and supports efforts by the academia and organizations such as the Judicial Reform Foundation to seek solutions to state power abuse through formal and established means. However, we will also continue grassroots efforts to urge related agencies to conduct similar investigations.

* many thanks to A-Kai for the press conference transcript

[Taipei Times] Strawberries stage‘memorial service’for human rights

INVITATIONS: Student protesters sent notices of the death of the nation’s human rights to President Ma Ying-jeou and other politicians across party lines
By Flora Wang STAFF REPORTER Monday, Nov 24, 2008, Page 3

Original Page
Members of the Wild Strawberries Student Movement lie on the ground yesterday at the Liberty Square in front of National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall in Taipei to depict the wounded and dead as part of their mock memorial service for human rights.

Wearing white head coverings and face masks, a few dozen protesters gathered at Liberty Square, carrying placards that read “Freedom of speech” and “Free from violence” and offering their “condolences” to rights they said have been trampled by the government.

The memorial service “symbolizes our sadness toward [the government’s] violations of human rights during [Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman] Chen Yunlin’s [陳雲林] stay in Taiwan,” said Lo Shih-hsiang (羅士翔), a spokesman for the movement.

The students began their silent sit-in on Nov. 6 to protest what they called excessive police force against demonstrators who opposed Chen’s visit between Nov. 3 and Nov 7.

After police removed the students from outside the Executive Yuan, they moved their demonstration to the square on Nov. 7.

The group has continued its demonstrations at the square every day, calling for immediate amendments to the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法) to scrap regulations requiring police approval for demonstrations.

The students had sent out “notices of death” of the nation’s human rights to politicians across party lines, including President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and to National Police Agency Director-General Wang Cho-chiun (王卓鈞) and National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Chao-ming (蔡朝明). Only Tsai attended the mock funeral.

When approached by reporters, Tsai said she wanted to encourage the students, but that she did not want their demonstration to be labeled as an activity organized by the pan-green camp.

Speaking on the assembly law, Tsai said the former DPP administration “failed to pay enough attention or push for amending or abolishing the Assembly and Parade Law. We feel very sorry.”

The students also expressed opposition yesterday to a requirement by the Ministry of Justice that schools nationwide recruit personnel to implement government ethics policies.

The ministry sent formal notices to all government branches asking schools, government agencies and state-run enterprises to recruit the personnel.

The move drew widespread criticism across party lines, with many legislators calling the measure reminiscent of the Martial Law era, when all schools had human resource units in charge of spying on public servants and reporting back to the ministry.

The DPP caucus said the ministry’s requirement may violate the 1992 Act Governing the Establishment of the Government Employee Ethics Units and Officers (政風機構人員設置條例), which says the legislature, local councils, military agencies and public schools do not need to establish such units.

"The students of the Wild Strawberry Student Movement are worried that schools ... will be threatened by the White Terror again,”the students said in a press release.

On protest and human rights in Los Angeles

On Protest and Human Rights from abe on Vimeo.

A parade held on 21st November for human rights.

A brief transcription on Mr. Jiang's talk (a Taiwanese lawyer in the States):
On Nov. 20th, the mayor of L.A. apologized publicly for the police violation when Mexican protested against the new Immigration Law last year. The amount of compensatory that police officers beat people, including the journalist and people, during the protest is approx. 13,000,000USD. How about us?

Read more on
L.A. to pay nearly $13 million over May Day melee, sources say
The settlement would mark one of the largest payouts ever made to resolve LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) misconduct. Department has sanctioned officers and trained force to prevent another such incident.
By Joel Rubin
November 20, 2008

[Movement Statement in French] Contre les violences policières ! Défendons la Liberté et les Droits de l’Homme !

Depuis la visite du 3 Novembre du représentant chinois de l’Association pour les relations entre les deux rives du Détroit de Taïwan (ARATS) afin de signer divers contrats avec le gouvernement taïwanais, les agents de police ont commis de nombreux actes abusifs envers des opposants pacifiques de différents groupes, sous le prétexte du « maintien de l’ordre ». Ces actes comprennent fouilles et interdictions arbitraires, confiscations et destructions de biens, attaques physiques, dispersion de rassemblements et même arrestations et détentions. La grande majorité des victimes de cette brutalité policière n’étaient même pas dans les environs du président de l’ARATS, Mr Chen Yu Lin, et s’étaient simplement trouvés être, passer ou photographier divers endroits quand ils ont été pris à parti.
D’après la couverture médiatique, nous nous sommes rendu compte de la gravité de la situation. Il ne s’agit plus d’une question technique de l’application de la loi, ou encore d’un différend entre les partisans de divers partis politiques. Ceci est la généralisation de la violence étatique, qui provoque et attaque la société civile. Tous ces actes d’oppression, qui ignorent les Droits de l’Homme et les valeurs démocratiques, rappellent l’époque de la loi martiale. A tel point que même des députés de la majorité ont exprimé leur inquiétude à ce sujet au Yuan exécutif (gouvernement), cependant que Mr Liu (premier ministre) a esquivé toutes responsabilités avec des excuses des plus minces. Nous sommes choqués et outrés de cette réponse, tout autant que consternés et humiliés.
Nous devons alors nous demander : est-ce que l’augmentation des échanges entre les rives du Détroit nécessitent que Taiwan doive rabaisser sa conception de la liberté et de la démocratie, jusqu'à atteindre le niveau du pouvoir répressif et autoritaire chinois ?
En quelques jours seulement, la démocratie libérale pour laquelle Taïwan a durement lutté, s’est pratiquement effondrée au travers de la présence policière massive en ville, et de l’atmosphère de peur et de répression qu’elle implique. Derrière ses barricades policières, le gouvernement reste aveuglé par l’illusion de cette « rencontre historique » et se fourvoie en réceptions et autres banquets. Pendant ce temps, les droits des citoyens concernant la liberté d’expression et la liberté de mouvement, pourtant garantis constitutionnellement, sont mis de côté et même oubliés.
Comme la plupart de leurs actions ne sont pas constitutionnelles, il n’est pas surprenant qu’il n’y ait pas eu un seul policier capable de définir clairement face à la caméra quelle loi les habilite à suivre les ordres de leurs supérieurs. Les agents de police sont supposés être chargés de la protection de la population. Mais à cause d’ordres venant de leur hiérarchie, ils se sont transformés en gangsters qui réprimandent et empêche le peuple d’exprimer son opinion. Nous n’avons pas l’intention de blâmer individuellement les policiers qui ne peuvent qu’obéir aux ordres de leurs supérieurs. En revanche, nous demandons solennellement aux hautes autorités du gouvernement d’assumer leur part de responsabilité pour ces abus.
Nous sommes un simple groupe de professeurs, étudiants, animateurs culturels et citoyens qui est concerné par l’état de désordre actuel de Taïwan et son développement futur.
Le 6 Novembre, à 11H, sans aucune aide ou mobilisation d’un quelconque parti politique ou groupe civique, nous nous réunirons devant la porte du Yuan exécutif (gouvernement) vêtus de noir et de masques afin de signifier notre désaccord profond, et nous nous tiendrons la main jusqu’à ce que nos revendications aboutissent. Nos revendications sont les suivantes :
1) Le président Ma Ying-Jeou et le premier ministre Liu Chao-Shiuan doivent s’excuser publiquement auprès de tous les citoyens.
2) Le directeur général de l’Agence Nationale de Police Wang Cho-Chiun et le directeur du Bureau National de la Sécurité doivent démissionner
3) Le Yuan législatif (assemblée) doit revoir rapidement la loi sur les manifestations et rassemblements qui actuellement restreint les droits du peuple.

Taiwan DPP leader apologizes for not amending assembly and parade law

Taipei, Nov. 23 (CNA) Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen visited a group of student demonstrators at Liberty Square in Taipei Sunday and apologized for the DPP's failure to amend the Assembly and Parade Law during its eight years as the ruling party. (more)

Bill Creata 5 Minute Podcast News, Politics and current events with real life commentary

There is a Podcast on our movement!! Thanks to Bill!!
Wild Strawberries Update

http://billcreata.podomatic.com/

Documentary of Mr. Cheng Nan-jung

Activity at Chia-yi : Documentary of Cheng Nan-jung
When: 2008-11-23 7:30p.m.

Where: Chia-yi 228 Park

You are invited to come to care, to share, to discuss!

More information about Cheng Nan-jung(1947~1989): wiki page, Deng Liberty Foundation(A foundation named after Cheng, for promoting freedom and memorizing Cheng's thought and spirits.)

A video clip with music and photo for your reference:

Introduction to Mr. Cheng Nan-jung and the foundation

In March 1984, he founded Freedom Era Weekly, and declared that "[it was] fighting for 100 percent freedom of speech." Cheng Nan-jung had registered 18 different magazine licenses, as "spare tires" for use when the KMT banned the magazine and suspended publication. He said "I'm not scared of arrest nor of being killed, basically, I'll fight them to the very end."

***

In 1989, Cheng was charged with insurrection for printing a new Constitution for the Republic of Taiwan. An arrest warrant was issued. He refused to appear in court. When the police arrived to arrest him on April 7, he committed suicide by self-immolation. He set fire to the building and died in the blaze. His immolation protest against the Kuomintang was covered by Formosa TV.

Military personnel on campus in Taiwan

In Taiwanese universities and high schools, there is a group of personnel you would never find in democratic countries: military training instructors. In the old days, they were responsible for talking students into joining the KMT, policing students’ appearance (length/colour of hair, nails or skirts/trousers; whether one had their shirt tucked in and shoes shined) along with students’ thoughts on the government, reporting those who were not loyal to the party and the leader’ and giving basic military training to students on the side. (more)