Locals protest against possible U.S.-led war to oust Saddam

www.chinapost.com.tw 2003/2/16 TAIEPI, Taiwan, The China Post staff

About 300 people staged a protest yesterday outside the U.S. representative office in Taipei to speak out against Iraq human rights violations and a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq.

The protest, organized by a Taiwan human rights promotion group, gathered at the building of the Bureau of National Health Insurance Bureau, before heading to the Taipei office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which represents U.S. interests here in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

The demonstration was part of a global string of anti-war protests which took place simultaneously in all major cities around the world.

Since the organizers didn't apply for a permit to march, police repeatedly asked demonstrators to end their protest.

Rows of police with batons took up positions outside the AIT office, but there was no trouble and protesters dispersed after two hours.

Most protesters were labor activists but they also included foreign residents, ranging from veiled Indonesian women to Arab men and young Westerners. They held placards with slogans like "We need peace, no war," "No war on Iraq," and "War does not decide who's right, only who's left."

One man wearing a Bush mask carried a plastic gun and a blue plastic barrel with the inscription "Bush Oil: 50 percent oil, 50 percent blood."

Expressing his personal opinion, Stuart Hamby, a U.S. citizen, said that it would be "a useless war." He said Bush was seeking to place more wealth into the hands of his friends whose businesses are in oil and defense.

Organizers of the demonstration said that they oppose the Iraqi government's policy of cracking down on human rights. But they stressed that peaceful resolution of the Iraqi arsenal issue through U.N. efforts is the best course to take to end the controversy. Some speakers criticized the Taiwan government, saying it was taking a soft attitude toward the Bush administration.

More than 100 private associations in Taiwan have reportedly signed a global anti-war declaration initiated by European anti-war activists.

The government has expressed support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism, but not yet taken an official stance on the Iraq issue.