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Updated Monday, May 25, 2009 11:52 am TWN, The China Post news staff

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Ma to issue Tiananmen Square Incident statement

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou is preparing to release a special statement commemorating the upcoming anniversary of the “June 4 Incident” taking place in Beijing while the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is mounting pressure on Chinese leaders to apologize for the massacre of democratic protesters 20 years ago.

The DPP's legislative caucus decided yesterday to put forward a proposal today for the Legislative Yuan to adopt a formal resolution on June 2 urging the Chinese authorities to quickly reinstitute the “June 4 Incident” in which thousands of students and democracy promoters were massacred at the Tiananmen Square in 1989.

The DPP lawmakers said that Ma customarily issued either special articles or statement on his views on the “June 4 Incident” every year after he became Taipei mayor in 1998.

However, Ma has never demanded that Beijing take official actions over the tragedy, including reinstituting the rights of participants in the democratic protest, they said.

They criticized Ma for taking a softer stand on the issue while seeking to improve relations with Beijing.

The legislators said Beijing leaders like Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao should make a formal apology for the historic mistake.

They also urged their colleagues in the legislature to pass a separate resolution demanding the military junta of Myanmar to unconditionally release Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Presidential spokesman Tong Wang said President Ma has actually been preparing for the release of a special article on the “June 4 Incident” as during previous years.

Wang stressed that the president has never changed his views and stand on the incident.

People will find this out when they read the article, which is scheduled to be made public on his return from an overseas trip to Latin American nations, he said.

The same article will also be posted on the official Web site of the Presidential Office, he added.

Some lawmakers of the ruling Kuomintang said they will back the resolution proposed by the DPP as long as it is intended mainly for ideological or political manipulations.

Some others said they will endorse a resolution supporting the safeguard of human rights.

Protecting human rights anywhere and the stepped-up interchanges across the Taiwan Straits being promoted by the administration of President Ma should be considered as two separate matters, they said.

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Comments

May 25, 2009 lonelyplanet@

Those DPP clique never grew up since the day they were born. They only know how to create incident with violence in the Legislative yuan or drama of intrigue in the street. They don't even know the true meaning of democracy and human rights. They only know how to shout and shout. Talk and talk. Nothing more nothing less.

May 25, 2009 alvinchen3333@

President Ma must insist on his ideal mind to criticize Communist China severely about Tiananmen Square Massacre on the 4th of June in 1989. Until Communist China says sorry to all victims and proceed with Democracy throughout China, President Ma is a Chicken and not a good leader from a leading Harvard University to lead Taiwan, Republic of China.