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CIVIC GROUP LAUNCHES ARMS PURCHASE FUND DRIVE

ROC Central News Agency

2005-10-07 18:47:39

    Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) A civic group announced Friday that it will launch a fundraising drive in which it hopes to persuade 1 million people to each donate NT$100 (US$3) to help pay for the nation's arms purchases from the United States.

    North Society executives made the announcement as a government arms procurement package was blocked for the 31st time in the Legislative Yuan this week because of obstruction by the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Kuomintang and the People First Party.

    The executives claimed that the drive will "help fund" the arms purchase, cement national defense and highlight the Taiwan people's determination to defend the country.

    According to them, it will also "whip up patriotism" and apply pressure on the "pan-blue alliance, " which has used its slim majority in the legislature to stonewall the government's proposed arms procurement package for more than one year.

    The package includes three big-ticket items of weapons of eight diesel-electric submarines, a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and six Patriot PAC-III anti-missile batteries.

    North Society President Wu Shu-ming criticized the "pan-blue alliance" for boycotting the arms procurement package, saying that "their deliberate obstruction will bring downfall to the nation."

    Wu claimed that his drive will raise the awareness that everyone is responsible for the nation's defense, adding that the drive will not only raise NT$100 million, but will be a manifestation of Taiwan's identity.

    Society Vice President Yang Chi-wen noted that civic groups marched late last month to express their aspirations to strengthen national defense and claimed that President Chen Shui-bian has continued to show goodwill toward the opposition parties, but the "pan-blue alliance" has stuck to its guns.

    He was referring to a Sept. 25 march by an estimated 50,000 local people, mostly from pro-independence groups, to support the arms procurement package.

    Society Secretary-General Yang Wen-chia said the legislature has "turned into" an arena of political bickering that has hindered the passage of the package and that his group has resorted to the fundraising drive to drive home its voice.

(By Lilian Wu)

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