Taiwan police expel students from admin building

TAIPEI - Taiwan's police took action on Sunday night to dislodge students and members of the public occupying the administrative authority building in Taipei.

Large crowds of protesters opposed to a cross-Straits service trade pact, which is still under deliberation at the legislative body, besieged the building from 7:30 p.m. Sunday, shouting slogans and clashing with police. Dozens of protestors broke into the building through the windows.

The occupation and reports of vandalism prompted the authority to condemn the "illegal violence" and send in the police. After negotiations failed, a tense stand-off between around 2,000 police and protesters, whose number had grown to several thousand by midnight, was ended when police began driving out protesters around mid-night.

Protesters joined arms and lay down together outside the building but were hauled away one by one by the police.

The police action lasted about five hours, with more than 2,000 protesters removed from the site and 61 arrests. A total of 110 people were injured, said Jiang Yi-huah, the administrative chief.

Split

Hundreds of students stormed into the legislative assembly on Tuesday last week, protesting about what they see as undemocratic tactics used by the KMT to ratify the pact and are worried about the effect on the local economy.

The protest moved to another level when Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou held a press conference on Sunday morning. He said the pact would open up the mainland's service sector to Taiwan and create jobs. He refused to reject the pact, as demanded by protesters.

When asked whether he would go to the legislative assembly to talk with the students occupying the building, Ma said he would like to communicate with the students and was open towards holding a talk, but said the talk would lack meaning if the students set preconditions to it.

Following Ma's remarks, a stand-off occurred on Sunday afternoon between students inside the legislative chamber and another group rallying outside who tried to force their way in, suggesting some sort of split among the students.

Some students then moved to the administrative building just a block away in response to calls for "opening a new frontier". Many threw quilts over barbed wire barricades and climbed into the compound.

Lin Fei-fan, who led the students in the legislative chamber, said on Sunday evening that protesters at the administrative building were not from their group and represented different views.

There has been no police action to disperse the students in the legislative chamber.

Related reading: Taiwan leader defends cross-Straits service trade pact

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou on Sunday defended the cross-Straits service trade pact.

Ma made the remarks at a press conference as hundreds of college students continued to occupy the legislative chamber in Taipei. They are protesting about what they see as undemocratic tactics used by the KMT to ratify the pact and are worried about the effect on the local economy. [More]