AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN REPORTS PEACEFUL

UNCLAS TAIPEI 001176

SIPDIS

DS/DSS/IP, DS/IP/EAP, DS/IP/ITA, DS/IP/FPO, DS/PSP/PSD,
EAP/TC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC TW
SUBJECT: AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN REPORTS PEACEFUL
DEMONSTRATION



1. (U) On Wednesday 16 March 2005, activist ZHOU Qingjun and
five followers from his self-proclaimed Republic of China
Patriotic Alliance staged a brief anti-American protest
outside the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT-Taipei)
Consular section. The demonstrators arrived around 1500
hours local time, in a brown mini-van adorned with protest
slogans that read, "Support the Anti-Secession Law".
Escorted by police, ZHOU then delivered a protest letter to
an AIT FSN Investigator. The one-page statement in Chinese
was address to President Bush and asked for U.S. support to
aid in a peaceful unification between China and Taiwan. ZHOU
and his followers then re-boarded their mini-van and departed
the area without incident at 1525 hours.


2. (U) The protest was not reported in either the local
newspapers or on television, and AIT's Public Affairs section
received no media inquiries regarding this event.


3. (U) Taiwan National Police Administration (NPA) notified
the RSO a day in advance about the possibility of ZHOU's
protest and deployed an additional fifteen uniformed officers
in front of AIT to maintain order. Local Guard Force
personnel were also re-positioned to ensure that Consular
operations were not disrupted and SDT units were put on
alert. No unusual incidents, arrests or injuries were
reported.
PAAL