Sources: All Taipei Newspapers

 

July 27, 2015

 

On July 25, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) urged the Ministry of Education (MOE) to withdraw charges against students and reporters arrested for storming the MOE building in the wee hours on July 24, in a show of protest.

 

Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), on July 24, visited TianHou Temple (天后宮) in Changhua County and said that the students who broke into the Education Ministry building had the right to make mistakes, but they still needed to abide by the law because it was prohibited to break into the Ministry.  Hung went on to say that society would collapse without the rule of law.

 

On July 26, Hung stated that the adjustments to the textbook guidelines were intended to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and she questioned why Tsai opposed the new textbook guidelines made to align the historical record with the Constitution of the Republic of China.

 

Hung pointed out that the so-called “democratic progress” meant that everyone should respect and tolerate different ideas and resolve differences in a civilized and rational manner.  Hung added, “If I disagree with you, I can do whatever I want” is the meaning of democracy for the DPP, is her party qualified to be called the “Democratic Progressive Party”?

 

As 11 of the 24 students who were arrested were teenagers, they were referred to the juvenile affairs division of the Taipei District Court.  Chu Mung-ping ( 朱夢蘋 ), a trial judge of the Taipei District Court, opined that those students who broke into the Education Ministry lacked an understanding of the rule of law.  Therefore, Chu handed the students a print-out of the Rights and Duties of the People clause from the Constitution and the Criminal Code on intruding into a residence, vandalizing public property, and obstructing an officer in the discharge of duties.  Chu called on the students to abide by the law and gave custody of the students to their parents.

 

The adjustments to the textbook guidelines have caused a controversy.  On July 26, Hung stated that the adjustments to the textbook guidelines were made to align the historical record with the Constitution of the Republic of China, so if Tsai disagreed with the framework of the Constitution, she asked Tsai to honestly admit that she supported Taiwan independence. Hung went on to say that if Tsai should be elected President, logically she should fight for her beliefs and author a new constitution as well as push for a plebiscite on Taiwna independence.

 

Hung noted that over 70% of the people in Taiwan supported the Constitution and maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, so if Tsai were elected President, could people who opposed the adjustments to the textbook guidelines which included the spirit of Taiwan independence occupy the Education Ministry, throw paint on the building, or even break into the Presidential Palace?