Hundreds of students occupy Taiwan's Legislature to protest China pact
百餘位學生佔據台灣立法院 抗議與中國協議
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/asia/taiwan-student-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
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(CNN) -- Hundreds of students remained barricaded in Taiwan's Legislature early Wednesday in protest of the ruling party's push for a trade pact with China, which demonstrators claim will hurt the island.
The protesters, mostly university students, entered the main assembly hall inside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Tuesday night and blocked the entrances with chairs, according to images and accounts filed from the scene with CNN iReport.
Police responded but had not dispersed the protesters, who also filled the streets around the Legislature in the center of Taipei.
The students said they plan to occupy the Legislature until Friday's session, when the pact was to be deliberated.
Taiwan's state news agency reported that 38 police officers were injured when more than 400 protesters took over the Legislature.
Four protesters were arrested in two unsuccessful attempts to evict them, the news agency reported. Police said there were more than 2,000 protesters both inside and outside the building, with a equal number of officers on the scene.
We do not want to clash with the police," said protester and iReporter Shanny Chang, 19. "We just have to let the government know that never try to fool the people."
百餘位學生在星期三稍早聚集在立法院以抗議執政黨強行通過與中國的貿易協定，抗議人士相信這個協定將會傷害台灣(經濟)。
這些抗議人士大多數為大學生，根據iReport上面的文字和影像消息，他們在星期二晚上進入了立法院的主議事廳，並且用椅子堵住進入立法院的路口 。
警方已經出動，不過他們沒有分散在台北市中心立法院附近街道上的抗議群眾。
學生說明他們計畫在周五的院會表決貿易法案之前，都要佔據立法院。
台灣媒體報導，在四百多名抗議者佔領立法院時，造成三十八名警察受傷。
媒體報導，四名抗議人士在兩次清場過程中受到逮捕。警方說明共有超過兩千名抗議者在立法院大樓內外，大約和警方人數相等。
抗議者(iReporter Shanny Chang)表示 “我們不想要和警方衝突，我們只是想讓政府知道他們不能愚弄人民”
One CNN iReporter said that after the protesters took over, hundreds gathered outside the building, with some making speeches and singing songs.
In a video, a young woman sings Bob Dylan's song "The Times They are a-Changin'," which many associate with the protest spirit of the 1960s.
"She played the Dylan song because she thinks the lyrics match the ongoing events happening in Taiwan," said iReporter George Chang, 24, who shot the video. "Bob Dylan isn't really that popular in Taiwan, especially not to the 8th grade generation, what Taiwanese call children born after 1991, but to the older generations I think he isn't a stranger to them."
一位CNN iReporter報導，當抗議者佔領立法院時，有數百人聚集在立法院外進行演講與演唱。
在影片裡面，一位女性唱鮑伯迪倫的歌 "The Times They are a-Changing"，這首歌和1960年代的抗議精神有關係。
“她演奏鮑伯迪倫的歌是因為覺得歌詞跟現在發生在台灣的事情很相似“ iReporter George Chang表示。”鮑伯迪倫在台灣不是很有名，在八年級生之間更是如此。但是對於老一代的人他是個家喻戶曉的明星“
The trade pact was signed last year in Shanghai to ease investment and trade between the two longtime adversaries, mainland China and Taiwan.
But opponents have voiced concerns that not only will Taiwan's economy be hurt as businesses and investments flow to China, but the island's democratic system could be undermined by closer ties with the mainland.
"The trade agreement was not supervised by the people of Taiwan, and benefits only big companies and harnesses our jobs," Chang wrote. "But I do agree we need to open Taiwan to the world, even China too. But NOT this way, not by signing an agreement that is not fair to us and was negotiated by people who have no profession in these territories. We must rewrite the agreement and make it work for the both of us, towards a peaceful future between the strait of Taiwan."
這個貿易協定在去年於上海簽署，目的是讓中國大陸與台灣這對敵手之間的投資與貿易更順利的進行。
但是抗議者擔心這樣的協定不只會傷害台灣的經濟，讓台灣的商業和投資流向中國大陸，與中國大陸保持更緊密關係的結果更會讓台灣的民主制度被破壞。
”這項貿易協定並沒有被台灣人民監督，更有甚者，它只會讓大企業獲利，會讓台灣人民更難找到工作“ iReporter George Chang如此寫道。”但是我同意台灣必須向世界開放，這也包括中國。不過並不是像現在這樣的模式，並不是簽下這種對我們不平等的協定，再說簽這些協定的人也並不是這方面的專家。我們必須用兩方都能接受的方式重新寫過這些協定，這樣台灣海峽兩岸才有和平的未來。“
An iReporter identified as kwarrior, an Asian-American living in Taiwan, wrote that the government's handling of the trade agreement "was unconstitutional and a blatant violation of the people's rights. ... I care deeply because my parents are Taiwanese and they always loved their nation like no other. I am personally affected because I value the rights of the people to voice and make changes in a democratic country."
iReporter kwarrior表示政府處理的貿易協定 ”明顯違反憲法與罔顧人民權利...我對此表示關切，因為我的父母是台灣人，他們愛著這個國家，我受到了他們的影響，因為我重視人民的發言權利，在民主國家裡面你可以改變。“
In a statement, Amnesty International urged security forces to show restraint.
"The situation is clearly tense. ... While police have a duty to maintain order and to protect the safety of the public, the response must only be proportionate to the threat. Force should only be used as a last resort. The authorities must ensure the rights of all those protesting are upheld and respected," said Roseann Rife, the group's East Asia research director.
Last month, Taiwan and China held their highest-level talks in more than six decades, marking the first government-to-government contact since the pair's acrimonious split in 1949.
Wang Yu-chi of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which oversees the island's China policy, met with his mainland counterpart, Zhang Zhijun of China's Taiwan Affairs Office.
After the meeting, China's state news agency Xinhua said the two sides had agreed to open a regular communication channel.
"We should both be resolute to not let cross-strait relations suffer any more twists and turns and never let (the relationship) go backward," Zhang was quoted as saying.
Previous contact between the two sides has been conducted through semi-official foundations or through political parties, not by government ministers acting in their official capacities.
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has never ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification.
Taiwan also calls itself the Republic of China.
Relations between the two sides have improved since Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou came to power in 2008. On Wednesday, Ma called for the passage of the trade pact.
