Civilian groups commemorate Sun Yat-sen, call for unification

TAIPEI -- Civilian groups and residents gathered in downtown Taipei on Sunday to commemorate Dr Sun Yat-sen, calling for opposing "Taiwan independence" and promoting China's peaceful unification.

Sunday marked the 92nd anniversary of the death of Sun, a renowned statesman who led the revolution that ended imperial rule in China.

Hundreds of residents and members from local civilian groups, including the Zhong Shan International, named after Sun, visited the Dr Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, bowing to Sun's statue and singing patriotic songs. They held banners and shouted slogans such as "oppose Taiwan Independence" and "peaceful unification."

Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-Jeou also paid respect to Sun's statue.

More than 560 civilian groups in Taiwan announced that they have established an "alliance of anti-independence," based on adherence to the 1992 consensus, which stresses the one-China principle. They called on people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan to make common efforts for unification and national rejuvenation.

"The alliance is aimed at carrying on Dr. Sun's ideas and promoting the peaceful unification of the nation," said Sun Wu-yan, head of Zhong Shan International.

He said Dr Sun is very important in the minds of Taiwan people, but some are trying to eliminate Sun's legacy with an ulterior motive, which is not tolerable.

On Sunday, ceremonies were also held on the Chinese mainland to commemorate Dr Sun.

Representatives from all walks of life attended a ceremony at Zhongshan Park in Beijing, observing a moment of silence and bowing three times in front of a statue of Sun. Local officials and residents of East China's Jiangsu province also marked the day at Sun's mausoleum in Nanjing, the provincial capital.

Sun was born in 1866 and is known as a "great revolutionary and statesman" for his leading role during the 1911 Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of feudal rule in China.