"We are ready for the development of casino tourism, " declared Penghu County Magistrate Wang Chien-fa, warning that he and Liu-Chen Chao-ling, speaker of the Penghu County Council, will not rule out the possibility of staging a sit-in in front of the Presidential Office if the administration continues to turn a deaf ear to Penghu's calls.

Speaking at a news conference at the Penghu County Council, Wang said that Penghu does not want just casinos. Rather, it has envisioned developing some areas into multi-faceted tourist complexes that would include casino resorts, theme parks, shopping malls, conference centers and exhibition sites.

Liu-Chen said that President Ma promised publicly during his "thank you" tour of Penghu April 9 that once the offshore island's residents reach a consensus on the casino issue, the central government will help to facilitate the plan, pending legislative approval.