PAN-GREEN MORALE BOOSTED BY MARCH AND RALLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 001306 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2018 TAGS: PGOV TW SUBJECT: PAN-GREEN MORALE BOOSTED BY MARCH AND RALLY PROTESTING PRESIDENT MA'S POLICIES REF: A. TAIPEI 1298 ¶B. TAIPEI 1233 Classified By: AIT Acting Director Robert S. Wang, Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: More than 50,000 enthusiastic pan-Green supporters joined a march and rally on August 30 to protest KMT President Ma Ying-jeou's economic and cross-Strait policies. The event was timed to coincide approximately with the 100-day anniversary of the Ma administration, whose economic performance has been affected by the global downturn. The Taiwan Society and the DPP kept the demonstration focused on Ma and his policies, and the event did not turn into a pro- or anti-Chen Shui-bian rally, as some had feared might happen. The quite respectable turnout for the march and rally will boost pan-Green morale, which has been damaged by election defeats and scandals involving former President Chen and his family. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) The march and rally -- &Outcry from the People8 )- focused on three themes: improving the people's economic situation, protecting sovereignty, and passing sunshine laws. In hot and humid weather, protesters marched along two different routes to the square in front of the Presidential Office, the location of choice for political rallies in Taiwan. The rally featured a series of speakers and some musical performances, including popular rap performances by former DPP Government Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey. Speakers included DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, whose remarks were brief, Deep Green elder Koo Kwang-ming, and some popular political commentators from television talk shows. ¶3. (SBU) Some speakers and banners played off one of Ma,s well-known campaign slogans: &Mashang hao8 (things will improve immediately under Ma),changing the wording to &Mashang ku8 (things will immediately become difficult under Ma). Apparently for the benefit of international journalists and onlookers, there were a fair number of signs in English and other foreign languages, including: "Warning, China is Coming;" "It is not OK to bash Taiwan;" "Stop Inflation;" and "Show Me the Money." A popular T-shirt sold by the organization sponsoring the event read, "I am Taiwanese, I am not Chinese." In addition to the more restrained placards printed by the sponsoring organization, there were many impromptu signs attacking Ma and calling for his resignation, some featuring crude language and pictures. ¶4. (C) Although the Taiwan Society, the sponsoring organization, claimed that 300,000 people participated in the event, this was clearly an exaggeration. The police estimated the crowd at 50,000, not far from the 60,000 which Taiwan Society Secretary General Lo Chih-cheng told AIT he expected to turn out. In addition to people from the Taipei area, more than 20,000 participants were bussed in from central and southern Taiwan. The square where the rally was held was filled to overflowing, and people of all ages meandered or sat in nearby streets, some appearing to treat the rally as a social event or rally. Although many people departed before the rally finally ended, a substantial crowd remained until the end. ¶5. (C) After a new scandal involving former President Chen Shui-bian and his family surfaced in mid-August (reftels), there was some concern that the August 30 event might turn into a pro- or anti-Chen rally. Tsai Ing-wen told A/DIR on August 26 that she was asking organizers to avoid either supporting or attacking Chen. The beleaguered Chen issued a statement on August 29 that tried to draw a link between the rally and his standing up against KMT legal and media attacks against him and his family. Saying he would be with the demonstrators in spirit, Chen called for larger numbers of people to attend the Saturday rally. In the event, there were only isolated instances of people expressing support for, or opposition to, Chen. The rally remained focused on criticizing Ma and his policies, a theme on which all participants clearly agreed. TAIPEI 00001306 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) Speaking at a luncheon with new members of the Examination Yuan two days after the rally on Sept. 1, Ma said he saw no great differences between the demands of the protesters and the government's policies, which he said were aimed at defending the country's sovereignty, invigorating the economy, and promoting sunshine policies. According to Ma, the current rising prices of imports, including oil, had limited the government's ability to deliver immediate economic benefits. Saying the government would make greater efforts to meet people's expectations, he asked the public for patience. Not surprisingly, Taiwan Society Secretary Lo Chih-cheng rejected Ma's explanation. Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) In the days leading up to the rally, some people had advised canceling the event, fearing that people would not show up because of the latest Chen scandal. DPP officials told us, however, that following the initial shock of the new Chen scandals, people realized the distinction between Chen and the DPP and wanted to show their support for the party during a difficult period. The turnout for the march and rally met the expectations of the organizers and will boost pan-Green morale. The event was Tsai Ing-wen's first large political rally as DPP chairperson. Although a bit tentative at the beginning of the march, Tsai warmed to the crowd and, departing from her past practice of using Mandarin, spoke mainly in Taiwanese, the lingua franca of Green rallies. Tsai received an enthusiastic welcome from the audience at the rally. WANG