‘DEEP CONCERN’:International political party alliance Liberal International also expressed concern over the ‘excessive use of force’ by police against protesters
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
An international alliance of political parties has expressed concerns about a lack of transparency and due procedure in the trade talks between Taiwan and China, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.
“The Liberal International [LI] expresses its deep concern at the excessive use of force by Taiwanese police against the on-going student and civil protests in Taiwan, as well as a lack of transparency and violation of due process in the government’s negotiation of the trade pact with China,” the DPP quoted the group’s press release as saying.
Established in 1947, the London-based LI is a federation of more than 100 political parties around the world.
The LI, which organized its plenary from between Wednesday and Saturday in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, called on the Taiwanese government to respect the civil right of peaceful protest.
Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠), director of the DPP’s Department of International Affairs, briefed the annual congress about the Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) administration’s negotiation process with China for a cross-strait service trade pact, as well as the follow-up Sunflower movement and the police’s brutal crackdown after protesters occupied the Executive Yuan compound on March 23 and 24.
The LI resolution encouraged Taiwan to uphold its status as an exemplary democracy in the region, to ensure impartial implementation of the rule of law and to further develop the legislative framework for protection of human rights and minority rights.
“Liberal International emphasizes the importance of the principle of self-determination of the people of Taiwan,” the alliance said.