Taiwan Church News 3239 Edition March 24 - March 30, 2014 Head Line News Calling For Peace And Justice, PCT Condemns The State Violence Reported by Lin Yi ying and Chiu Kuo-rong Caused by the government's violent eviction of the protesting students, who abruptly occupied Executive Yuan and stayed there from the night of March 23rd to early morning of March 24th, it was estimated about 100 students and citizens were wounded due to their peaceful but recalcitrant demonstration against the irresponsible insistence of Executive Yuan to push through the bill of Cross-Strait Trade Service Agreement(CSTSA). At 10:00 a.m. on March 24th , an urgent PCT press conference was hold undaunted in front of the gate of the Executive Yuan. An official PCT statement was issued to condemn such state violence to evict the innocent students and pledged to seek peace and justice for this country. Many PCT pastors had attended this press conference, including Rev. Hsu Rong-fong(PCT General Assembly Moderator), Rev. Ro Jen-guei(PCT General Assembly Vice Moderator), Rev. Sududarda( PCT General Assembly Deputy Secretary), Rev. Lyim Hong-tiong(PCT General Secretary), Rev. Zeng Kuo-chong(Pastor of Just Action Church) and Mr. Tsai Ming-hsein(Former Defense Minister). After press conference, they also went to the emergency department of Mackay Memorial Hospital to pay tribute and care for the wounded students and citizens. Rev. Lyim Hong-tiong said the cruel measures taken by Ma Ying-jeou regime to evict the people so violently could not be allowed in any democratic state in current world. This is why Presbyterian Church Taiwan had to stand up behind these wounded students immediately. And Rev. Lyim would give his most severe condemnation toward the regime of Ma Ying-jeou(President) and Jiang Yi-hwa(Prime Minister) for such atrocious clamp down. Reading the official PCT statement, "Condemn the State's Violence, Seek Peace and Justice", Rev. Lyim pointed out that the real cause of this occupation event is the reluctance of Ma-Jaing regime to respond what the students urged: turn down CSTSA and defend Taiwan's democracy from China's Trojan Horse. PCT gives the most severe condemnation on the Ma-Jiang regime's brutal clamp down and violent eviction of the innocent students. As evidenced from various news video and footage, the compulsory eviction by police had gone beyond the proper response of legitimate defense and evolved into a state violence. Therefore, PCT thought Ma Ying-jeou regime should take the full responsibility of this violent eviction, as Ma's stubborn decision to pass CSTSA is not only against the will of Taiwan people, but also anti-democracy hardly won locally and against universal human rights. Translated by Peter Wolfe |