Wednesday, December 20, 2017

‘Green Terror’ Covers Taiwan
By Liu Xin
Global Times
2017/12/20 23:23:41

Taiwanese authorities aim to frighten pro-mainland groups through their doomed to fail the "green terror" independence movement, amid growing voices for peaceful unification across the island, said experts after four leaders of Taiwan's pro-mainland New Party members were arrested in Taipei for "undermining national security."

Wang Ping-chung, spokesman of the New Party in Taiwan and three other young party members were released on Wednesday morning after they were taken away by the police in Taipei on Tuesday. Authorities alleged Wang had violated the "national security act," Taiwan-based China News Agency (CNA) reported.

"The arrest was not due procedure since the four members of the New Party are not civil servants and have no access to confidential information. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is ridiculous to take the action and will lose support among the people," Chen I-hsin, a political science professor at Taiwan's Tamkang University, told the Global Times.

"The DPP is pressuring pro-mainland groups and politicians amid growing voices for peaceful unification in recent years, which is exactly what the Tsai Ing-wen administration is fearful of. More people in Taiwan are appreciating the accomplishments made by the Chinese mainland and feel disappointed with Tsai's pro-independence policies," Xu Shiquan, former deputy director of the National Society of Taiwan Studies in Beijing, told the Global Times.

The DPP has taken actions to promote independence, including claiming in a draft official document that a total of 5,000 "spies" are hiding on the island and that organizations and individuals involved should cooperate with investigations, Xu said.

Wang told a press conference on Wednesday that the Taiwan authorities' move was "green terror" and that he did not receive money from any Chinese mainland's political or military organizations, reported CNA. A bunch of RMB notes were found in Wang's room when authorities searched his home on Tuesday.

Green represents Taiwan's current DPP administration and the ruling pro-independence political party.

According to Taiwan-based China Times, the four members on Saturday had just returned from a tour of the Chinese mainland. Their journey had been publicly announced and was open to the media.

"The ruling DPP wants to frighten other pro-mainlanders and deliver a message to the public that pro-independence is the only choice. This move is so contradictory because the DPP advocates democracy, freedom and human rights," Zhu Songling, a professor at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Beijing Union University, told the Global Times.

Zhu said that advocating unification or communism does not go against any laws in Taiwan and the international community has reached consensus that there is only one China. "Residents in Taiwan need to be alert for any political persecution attempts of the DPP."

The arrest of the four members has attracted attention online in both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, with many Netizens posting pictures of themselves holding a board with messages showing their opposition to the "political persecution" at the hand of Taiwan authorities.

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