$141b arms deal sparks anger in Taipei

More than 1,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Taipei yesterday to demand the government scrap a controversial NT$610 billion (HK$141 billion) deal to purchase American weapons.

The protest came as a Taiwanese delegate disclosed in the US that Washington would sell Aegis-class warships to Taiwan in 2011.

Shouting 'oppose arms sales', 'refuse to be suckers', the protesters unfurled banners and held placards. They marched from the railway station to a public park near the Presidential Office.

The marchers wore green headbands. Organisers said although the colour green was also used by the Democratic Progressive Party, they chose to use it as a symbol of their desire for peace.

'We hope the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can remain in peace and sign a long-term peace agreement,' said one of the main organisers, Chou Sheng-hsin.

Participants staged a sketch during the demonstration with a man dressed as the Grim Reaper setting fire to a map of Taiwan to illustrate that the cross-strait arms race would result in the island's destruction.

One man who took his caged crocodile to the march likened the US to his pet.

'It should be caged to prevent it from fuelling others into waging a war,' said Ko Shih-hai.

Huang Wu-hsiung, an education reform activist who helped organise the event, said Taiwan should find another option rather than rely solely on the US to defend the island.

Some protesters went to the march with additional appeals.

'At least a large part of the NT$610 billion budget can be used to take care of people's livelihood,' one said.

The cabinet approved late last month the NT$610 billion budget, including NT$412 billion for the purchase of eight conventional submarines, which critics said was at least three times more than international market prices.

But the government stressed that the arms deal with the US was necessary to help defend the island. It would also show the Americans that Taiwan was determined to build up its defence forces, the government said, rather than relying on Washington to deter any invading forces.

A group of Taiwanese lawmakers, led by speaker Wang Jin-pyne, is visiting the US to discuss the arms deal issue.

Opposition People First Party legislator Chin Hui-chu, one of the delegates, told Taiwanese television that during their talks, US military officials had tentatively agreed to supply the Aegis-class warships for Taiwan in seven years' time to help defend the island, but that the US would not supply offensive weapons for the warships.