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Pastimes : Peace! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Eashoa' M'sheekha who wrote (92)	2/16/2003 2:02:00 AM
From: Eashoa' M'sheekha	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186

Peace groups protest against Iraq war 2003-02-15 / Taiwan News, Staff Reporter / By Dennis Engbarth Over 100 Taiwan social, labor and peace organizations will participate in an "Oppose War, Love Peace" march to the American Institute in Taiwan's Taipei headquarters this morning as part of today's global "day of action" against the possible war on Iraq. Initiated by a coalition of European anti-war groups, millions of people in over 30 major cities worldwide are expected to participate in the "international anti-war day of action" to stop the possible U.S.-led war on Iraq. In Taipei, two coalitions of peace groups will jointly participate in a short march to AIT's Taipei headquarters beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Central National Health Insurance Building on Hsinyi Road, Section Three. Organizations that signed a common eight-point declaration and will sponsor the demonstration include the Labor Rights Association, the Awakening Foundation of Taiwan, the Workers' Legislative Action Committee, the Chinese Federation of Labor, the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan. Besides opposing the "U.S. and British war of aggression against Iraq," the declaration calls for a halt to any form of support by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party-led government for "acts of aggression." The declaration urges the United Nations to resolve the Iraqi question through peaceful means and ease economic sanctions on Iraq as well as expresses opposition to "the use of war to resolve international disputes." The Taiwan Association for Human Rights also issued a statement yesterday urging the U.S. and U.K. not to attack Iraq in view of the extensive harm military action would cause to human rights, while expressing opposition to "Iraq's dictatorial government." Although short, the march "will symbolize that the Taiwanese people will not be absent from this unprecedented worldwide mobilization to stop a war in advance," said Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan executive director Chien Hsi-chieh. "Because Taiwan has depended on the U.S. for many years, the Taiwan government has supported the war in the name of anti-terrorism and most people are following American mainstream values," said Chien, a former DPP lawmaker and long-time labor activist. "But we, together with people in Taiwan, the United States, Iraq and elsewhere who love peace, know that war is not the way to solve problems but only generates more hatred and violence," Chien said. Chien observed that common concern over the Iraq war has spurred the cooperation among social activist groups despite widely dissimilar political views and ideologies. "We are against the war, not the United States as a country," said Chien, who added that "any expression of hatred toward a country or a person would violate the principles of peace." The PFT executive director also expressed concern over the possible extension of the U.S. campaign beyond Iraq to North Korea and other countries of what US President George W. Bush called "the axis of evil." "If the U.S. can attack any country in the world or overthrow any government at will, we cannot imagine what kind of world this would become," Chien said. The PFT will perform an "educational" session of street theater during the protest and march together with members from the TCTU, Eden Foundation and foreign residents in "a peaceful, joyful, creative carnival atmosphere," said Chien. Some local foreign residents plan to hold a "peace demonstration with a difference" with music and a candlelight vigil from midnight Saturday to 3 a.m. at Taipei's Hwa Shan Arts Complex.