PROTEST FEARS TRIGGER LAST MINUTE CHANGES IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001569 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL CH TW SUBJECT: PROTEST FEARS TRIGGER LAST MINUTE CHANGES IN PRESIDENT MA'S MEETING WITH PRC'S CHEN YUNLIN Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young, Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Concerns about a large DPP protest scheduled for the afternoon led President Ma Ying-jeou to advance by several hours the time for his meeting today with PRC ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin. The meeting lasted just seven minutes, with Ma delivering brief remarks, and Chen making no response. The change in schedule caused some confusion in the DPP protests, which continued as evening fell in Taipei. Prior to his meeting with Chen, Ma called a special press conference to defend his cross-Strait policy and the police's handling of protest incidents. All of this will fuel dueling critiques of this meeting from the increasingly partisan Blue and Green camps. End Summary. President Ma's Unexpectedly Brief Meeting with Chen Yunlin -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) President Ma Ying-jeou received PRC Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin during a seven-minute ceremonial meeting on Thursday morning (Nov. 6) at the official Taipei Guesthouse. The meeting was moved up to 11 a.m. from its originally scheduled time of 4:30 p.m. because of concerns about a large protest demonstration during the afternoon by the opposition DPP. The entire meeting was open to the media. Participants also included the ARATS delegation, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) delegation as well as NSC Secretary General Su Chi and Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairperson Lai Shin-yuan. ¶3. (SBU) When Ma entered the room where Chen and the other participants were waiting, a protocol officer announced the arrival of the "President." In addition to photographs, handshakes, and a gift exchange, Ma, but not Chen, delivered brief remarks. Ma thanked ARATS and SEF officials for their work and signing of four agreements that he said would help with the future development of cross-Strait relations. Ma noted that the two sides still have differences and challenges, especially on issues related to Taiwan's security and international space. Ma expressed hope the two sides would address differences and expand cooperation on the basis of "acknowledging (political) reality, mutual non-denial, benefiting the people, and cross-Strait peace." Ma also said he wished to see more exchanges of high-level visits between the two sides. Ma departed the meeting before the guests returned to their hotel, and during Ma's departure protesters could be heard clearly in the distance. In the meeting, Chen did not refer to Ma by his official title, using the honorific word for you ("nin") when presenting his gift to Ma. Ma Holds Press Conference to Defend Policies -------------- ¶4. (SBU) One hour before his brief meeting with Chen Yunlin, Ma held a hurriedly arranged press conference to announce the schedule change, to defend his cross-Strait policies, and to call on the DPP to exercise restraint in protests. Ma reiterated his "no independence, no unification, no war" policy and reaffirmed his statements during the election campaign that only the 23 million people of Taiwan have the right to determine Taiwan's future. Ma emphasized his commitment to protect the sovereignty of the 97-year old Republic of China (ROC),asserting that his cross-Strait policies, including the four agreements signed during Chen Yunlin's visit had done nothing to diminish the ROC's sovereignty. Ma stressed that he would be meeting Chen in his capacity as ROC president. Ma also discussed his commitment to Taiwan's defense and his policy of expanding Taiwan's international space. ¶5. (SBU) During the press conference, Ma also emphasized his commitment to the well-being of Taiwan, noting that the new SEF-ARATS agreements, which built on policies pursued by the previous DPP administration, would benefit the people of Taiwan. Ma defended the work of the police in dealing with protesters, saying they had been restrained and moderate. TAIPEI 00001569 002 OF 003 People have the right to demonstrate but must do so in a peaceful and lawful way. The police have to take sanctions against violence, Ma said, adding that violent incidents damage Taiwan's reputation and drive away tourists. Ma revealed that the DPP had made a commitment to the government the day before that protesters would be "rational and peaceful" during the demonstration on November 6. Therefore, Ma said, he was disappointed with DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen's words at the Formosa Regent Hotel during the incident the previous evening (Nov. 5). (Note: Tsai said the police had "gone too far" in their reaction to protesters. See para 6 below for a description of the incident at the Formosa Regent.) Protests Last Night -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Protests have gradually grown in intensity during Chen's visit, stimulated by the opposition's negative reaction to the heavy police presence protecting Chen. Last night (Nov. 5),KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung hosted Chen Yunlin to a banquet at the Formosa Regent Hotel, which is located in a congested commercial district. A group of several hundred demonstrators gathered around the hotel both to protest and in hopes of confronting Chen when he left the dinner. Several hundred police were deployed to keep protesters under control and to clear routes for Chen's departure. Nonetheless, Chen, who arrived around 6:30 p.m., remained a virtual prisoner in the hotel, unable to leave until after 2 a.m. because of the confrontation outside between protesters and police. Protests Today -------------- ¶7. (C) Today, Ma's sudden decision to advance his meeting with Chen by several hours threw into confusion the DPP's plans to hold a large demonstration near the Taipei Guesthouse in the afternoon. The sudden change added fuel to the protesters' fire, especially since many demonstrators were being bussed from central and southern Taiwan and would not arrive until the scheduled afternoon event. POLOFF on the scene heard demonstrators calling Ma a "coward" for changing the time of the meeting. Nevertheless, a determined band of demonstrators gathered as quickly as they could to the rally point where they were separated by several blocks and several rows of police barricades from the Taipei Guesthouse. Thousands of protesters vented their anger against Chen and Ma by blasting air horns, setting off firecrackers and chanting "Taiwan, China, one country on each side," and other slogans. Some angry protesters pushed against a police line, pulled down barbed wire police barricades and threw bottles and other objects. Confrontations between protesters and police caused some injuries, and Tsai Ing-wen called for calm. Some demonstrators carried signs in English, including ones that read "It's about sovereignty, stupid" and "Taiwan democracy, not China supremacy." Others sported "I am Taiwanese, not Chinese" T-shirts. Protesters continued to flock to the rally site as the day wore on, with some planning to head toward the Grand Hotel where Chen is hosting a banquet tonight. As of the late afternoon, the crowd had not completely dispersed, and the police were still out in force. Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) The ruling KMT and the opposition DPP will have very different interpretations of Chen Yunlin's visit and the protests today. The KMT will tout the benefits to Taiwan of the agreements signed during Chen's visit, and it will blame the DPP for violent behavior that sullies Taiwan's image. The DPP will attack Ma and the KMT for yielding too much to China and for trying to suppress their right to demonstrate. Ma's decision to cut short the meeting may have been driven by security concerns or could have been aimed at deflecting criticisms about a prolonged meeting that failed to yield proper nomenclature as Taiwan's president. At least for the TAIPEI 00001569 003 OF 003 short term, partisanship is likely to increase on both sides of the political spectrum. While television here focuses heavily on political protests, repeatedly showing the same scenes of "violence," such protests are generally quite localized and do not affect the general atmosphere in this large city. SYOUNG