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回台灣這幾天正逢反貪腐靜坐，全世界都在看，這裡轉載紐約時報的報導給大家參考。
September 10, 2006
Thousands of Protesters Call on Taiwan’s President to Step Down
By REUTERS
TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 9 (Reuters) — Tens of thousands of people opposed to Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, took to the streets on Saturday in response to calls for weeklong demonstrations aimed at unseating him.
Before the rally, one of the largest, a steady flow of people streamed in during the day to the site in front of the presidential palace where the event began in the late afternoon.
Observers put the crowd at 30,000 to 50,000 when the demonstration officially began, but television reports estimated the crowd at up to 80,000. Campaigners had expected up to 300,000.
Organizers said the protest was triggered by public frustration over several scandals involving President Chen’s family and officials in his administration.
On Saturday, the president returned to his hometown in
“Everything we do, we do it for ’s democracy and freedom,” Mr. Chen told supporters. “We cannot let people destroy this.”
Mr. Chen and his wife have been questioned over the use of the presidential office’s state affairs budget, while their son in-law, Chao Chien-ming, has been charged with insider trading.
Several senior officials have also stepped down this year because of corruption scandals.
Aides to Mr. Chen have said that the president would neither step down nor meet the crowd. He rejects the allegations of corruption and says he did not pocket any money from the state affairs budget.
Taiwan’s financial markets have come under pressure in the days leading up to the protest, which was organized by the “Million People Depose Bian” movement led by Shih Ming-teh, a former chairman of Mr. Chen’s governing Democratic Progressive Party.
“On Sept. 9, we stand here, we sit here, to call on A-bian to step down,” said Mr. Shih, using the president’s nickname. “Brothers and sisters, today is a moment in history. The people of are watching. The world is watching. They are looking to see if we have the resolve to make A-bian step down.”
On Friday, about 4,000 people demonstrated in
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
