bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Andrea Chen

Mainland microbloggers say they are disappointment with the student occupation of the Taiwanese cabinet building and legislature, calling it a failure of democracy.
Dozens were detained in Taipei late yesterday after protesters against the free-trade pact with the mainland stormed government headquarters.
Students shouted “we want real democracy” as they gathered outside the cabinet building.
Keywords including “cabinet building”, “legislature” and “free-trade pact” were some of the most popular search phrases on Sina Weibo this morning.
But mainland microbloggers questioned if paralysing the island’s administration was the best way to pursue democracy, with “populism” becoming a catch word among the comments.
“Protesting outside the cabinet building is fighting for your rights. But breaking into the building is violating of the rule of law. Staying outside the building is democracy. Occupying it is populism,” wrote mainland author and outspoken microblogger Bei Cun on Sina Weibo.
“Democracy is precious because it grants respect to the minority,” an advertiser who identified himself as LaoJian1967 wrote of the incident on Sina Weibo. “Many are against the pact, while some support it. If people can paralyse a country because of their objections, what is the difference between Taiwan and Thailand?”
“The news reminds me of June 4,” said one post that, like other referring to the Tiananmen incident, were censored on Sina Weibo.
“The Taiwanese movement has turned into violence, which should not be compared to the 1989 Movement,” independent curator Zhu Qi wrote on Weibo this morning, which was also later purged.
Some microbloggers cast doubt on the motivation behind the demonstration, arguing it might be a mass movement orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party.
“[You are] using the students as gun,” a microblogger from Jiangsu province, Adamjia, wrote in a comment on a photo of the demonstration posted by DPP legislator Tsai Chi-chang. Others left comments on the photo called the demonstrators “green guards”, referring to Mao Zedong’s red guards during the Cultural Revolution.
Violent clashes broke out on Sunday night between police and protesters who had occupied the legislature since Tuesday in protest against President Ma Ying-jeou’s refusal to scrap a trade agreement with the mainland.
In an online poll of more than 500 mainland microbloggers conducted by Sina Weibo, more than 60 per cent said the occupation was “too irrational and populist”, while the rest said it was typical of Taiwan’s often ill-tempered democracy.
Some were also concerned that the violent occupation would give mainland authorities another excuse to label democracy as the root of turbulence, referring to editorials published in state media criticising the recent violent demonstrations in Thailand.
“Such violent protests are used by dictators as another piece of evidence that democracy, which has caused nothing but turmoil, will not work for us,” a scholar who identified himself as Yang Peichang wrote on Sina Weibo.
But the Global Times, a tabloid affiliated with the official People’s Daily, did not seem to take the Taiwan protest as seriously as the unrest in Thailand.
In an editorial on Friday, the paper called on mainland authorities to stand back and examine the events in Taipei.
“The mainland has such huge markets across the world that it has never thought to profit from Taiwan," it said. "If Taiwan is so eager to be absent from the mainland market, we can only say ‘whatever’.” 
 


Taiwan student occupation and clashes 'a failure of democracy', mainland microbloggers say

Police use water canons to disperse protesters in Taipei

Police lead away a protester during clashes yesterday

More than 150 injured as police evict student protesters from Taiwan parliament

Student protesters battle with riot police outside the Executive Yuan last night. At least 20 were detained. Photo: CNA

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou

Student protesters occupy the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Photo: AFP

Taiwanese student protesters against a trade pact with Beijing try to intimidate police after storming the government Cabinet buildings in Taipei. Photo: AP

Taiwanese student demonstrators are removed by police after storming the government cabinet offices in Taipei. Photo: AP

A student guards the entrance of the Executive Yuan during a demonstration in Taipei. Photo: AFP

Protesters scuffle with police officers outside the Executive Yuan during a demonstration in Taipei. Photo: AFP

Taiwanese protesters are forced by riot police to leave the government cabinet buildings in Taipei. Photo: AP

Taiwan's riot police clash with demonstrators as they try to clear the government cabinet buildings in Taipei. Photo: AP

Taiwanese students protesting against a China Taiwan trade pact are sprayed with a water cannon while storming the government Cabinet offices. Photo: AP

A protester refuses to leave the street despite being hit by police water cannon near the Cabinet compound in Taipei, 24 March 2014. Photo: EPA

Riot police use water cannon to disperse protesters near the Cabinet compound in Taipei. Photo: EPA

Anti-trade pact occupation of Taiwan parliament was 'months in the making'

More than 200 protesters -- mostly young students -- continue to occupy parliament and chant slogans during a press conference in Taipei on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Thousands of demonstrators continue to gather outside the parliament building on Sunday. A youth leader says their anger was sparked by lawmakers' decision to pass a trade deal in its entirety instead of reviewing it point by point. Photo: AFP

Demonstrators occupying the inner chamber of parliament take a smoke break on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Student leader Lin Fei-tan (right) says President Ma Ying-jeou has lost his right to govern. Photo: AFP

Taiwan leader says protest-hit China trade pact vital for economy

Taiwans Persident Ma Ying-jeou speaks at a news conference in response to the students' occupation of parliament over a contentious trade pact with China, in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: EPA

Students and the oppostion Demoncratic Progressive Party (DPP) demand President Ma Ying-jeou apologize, order the parliament re-start review of the Taiwan-China trade bill, and promise that police will not hurt protesting students. Photo: EPA

Taiwan Premier Jiang Yi-huah talks to student protesters, against a China Taiwan trade pact in support of Taiwan, outside the legislature in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: AP

News

China

Forced entry of government headquarters 'went too far' but comparisons to June 4 are censored


.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}New | Taiwan student occupation and clashes 'a failure of democracy', mainland microbloggers say

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Forced entry of government headquarters 'went too far' but comparisons to June 4 are censored

New | Taiwan student occupation and clashes 'a failure of democracy', mainland microbloggers say

Forced entry of government headquarters 'went too far' but comparisons to June 4 are censored