DPP chair, protesters call for more talks on U.S. beef

Tsai issued the request when leading thousands of people protesting against the government's recent decision to lift a ban on controversial U.S. beef products, which has triggered fears of mad cow disease.

Tsai told the protesters that “If the Ma (Ying-jeou) administration can't do that, we shall ask them to step down.”

Activists organized by DPP magistrate Su Huan-chih of the southern county of Tainan, shouted “No deception, resume negotiation,” and waved banners that read: “Oppose toxic beef, oppose Ma,” as they held posters of cattle in their hands.

The march began yesterday afternoon at the Dinghao commercial square in downtown Taipei City, with over 20,000 people participating, according to the organizer. The 3.2-kilometer long march took the participants to Zhongxiao East Road, Linsen South Road, Renai Road before reaching its destination at Ketagalan Boulevard.

Tsai accused the Ma administration of failing to discuss with the legislature, opposition parties and people in the country about how it would handle the U.S. beef import issue.

“The government is not transparent,” she said, accusing the Kuomintang-led (KMT) government of violating the principles of democracy and transparency.

During the parade, former DPP premier Frank Hsieh blamed President Ma for being the one that “sold out” Taiwan and the health of Taiwanese people. He said the protest was just a beginning and he called for people to take to the streets again if the ruling party dares to pass draft revisions to the foodstuff sanitation management law to legalize imports of problem U.S. beef products on Nov. 17.

Meanwhile, Tainan Magistrate Su Huan-chih called for protester to besiege the Legislative Yuan on Nov. 17 to press lawmakers to enact rules to ban imports of problem U.S. beef products.

Also yesterday, the Consumers' Foundation urged consumers to endorse a campaign it launched together with the Homemakers' Union and Foundation to put forth a referendum demanding to re-start talks on the U.S. beef import protocol.

As of Friday, 74,358 signatures had been collected, nearly reaching the 86,000 signatures required for a public referendum to be held, according to Consumers' Foundation statistics.

The foundation's chairman Hsieh Tien-jen said that they have assessed they need at least 120,000 signatures for the campaign to be successful, after deducting invalid signatures.

Taiwan lifted a ban on U.S. bone-in beef, as well as offal and ground beef from cattle younger than 30 months on Nov. 2.

As part of efforts to smooth the public's fear of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, the Cabinet-level Department of Health announced a series of screening measures to help bar the imports of U.S. beef offal and ground beef that are considered to be potentially hazardous to human health despite the lifting of the ban.

Meanwhile, Premier Wu Den-yih, said yesterday that the government has learned of people's fears about the potential threat of U.S. beef imports to their health, and therefore the government will step up writing into law a series of strict screening measures designed to stave off entry of U.S. beef offal and ground beef that may be detrimental to human health, so as to safeguard the health of nationals.

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