Since President Ma Ying-jeou took office last May, law enforcement and judiciary personnel have been targeting government and elected officials from the Democratic Progressive Party in a witch hunt, she said yesterday.

She said Taiwan was ruled by "white terror" for decades under the Kuomintang-imposed martial law, which was lifted in 1987.

"Now the KMT is back in power. And now it is 'blue terror' in Taiwan," the DPP chairwoman said, referring to the color of the ruling party, while addressing a forum on how the government terrorized the nation during the martial period.

Many former and incumbent DPP leaders, including ex-President Chen Shui-bian, have been on trial for corruption.

But the DPP claims that the KMT government is singling out the opposition while turning a blind eye to alleged corruption by ruling party members.

The DPP is also holding a massive rally in Taipei today to protest what it says is the government's China-leaning policies and undemocratic practices.

The opposition camp has vowed to overstay the demonstration permit's allowed time in order to stage an overnight sit-down protest to challenge what it calls the government's attempt to tighten the restrictions on public demonstrations.

They say the government-proposed revision to the public assembly law is meant to deny the people the right to take to the streets by giving police excessive authority to control demonstrations.

The Presidential Office said yesterday that Ma's itinerary today will not be affected by the demonstration. The president will attend several events in Taipei and Hsinchu as scheduled, his office said.

Tsai said during the forum yesterday that Ma has been paying lip-service only when promising to further relax the restrictions and punishments concerning public demonstrations.

She said Ma lacks sincerity, and misses the point of the issue: the problem with the proposed revision to the law is the policing of demonstrations, not the punishment of violators. She also criticized Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin for urging the DPP to apply for the rights to use the roads where the party will stage the protest on Monday. The DPP chief said the mayor was "misleading" the public, as an application for the road rights is different from an application for a demonstration permit.

Obtaining the rights to use a road does not guarantee a demonstration permit, she pointed out.

"The Taipei City government is trying to use procedural issues to undermine the legitimacy of the demonstration," said Tsai.

Tsai said the Monday sit-down protest in front of the presidential building is unlikely to create too much impact on the traffic or schooling in the area. She also said the DPP has also laid down guidelines to prevent violence occurring during the demonstration. She said demonstrators must remain calm in the face of provocations.

She also urged police to maintain order, offering assistance rather than creating confrontation.

The DPP estimates that the demonstration will see half a million participants. DPP officials said about 17,000 supporters will head north from southern regions to take part in the protest.

The supporters will be arriving in Taipei by train or by bus, they said.

The Taipei Prosecutors Office has formed a task force of 14 prosecutors to ensure the massive protest will proceed peacefully.

The team will be stationed at the office from 2 p.m. Sunday when the parade in major streets in Taipei gets underway, a spokesman for the prosecutors office said.

The National Police Agency (NPA) has said it will deploy 4,000 officers to maintain law and order during the march.

As other pro-independence activists are also scheduled to take to the streets in Kaohsiung today, the NPA said it will mobilize 1,900 policemen to help with maintaining law and order in the southern port city.