Pro-Beijing Opposition Occupied Itself In Taiwan’s Parliament, Clashed With Ruling Party

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On June 29^th, upwards of 20 members of Taiwanese Parliament’s opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) occupied the parliament itself.

They installed chains and stacked chairs to block entry to the main chamber.

They opposed President Tsai Ing-wen’s nomination of her senior aide Chen Chu to head the Control Yuan, an independent government watchdog, describing the government “more tyrannical than before”.

The members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) removed the barricades and forced their way in.

There was a lot of scuffles and shouting between KMT and DPP lawmakers, however, KMT eventually withdrew the struggle, denouncing the violence used against them by the ruling party.

KMT said it was protesting against the government and President Tsai Ing-wen for forcing through bills.

Following the light clashes, more peaceful scene soon resumed with KMT lawmakers standing in protest at the front of the podium, and DPP legislators behind them, as they took turns shouting slogans.

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“This year, the Tsai administration has become more tyrannical than before,” the KMT said in a statement. “Tsai’s obstinacy had left the KMT with no alternative but to occupy the Legislative Yuan for a parliamentary boycott.”

Both the DPP and the presidential office condemned the action, with the DPP saying the KMT was orchestrating a “farce.”

This is not the first time protesters have occupied themselves in parliament in Taiwan. In 2014, hundreds of students occupied parliament for weeks in protests nicknamed the Sunflower Movement, demanding more transparency and fearful of China’s growing economic and political influence on the island.

Meanwhile, on June 28^th, two Chinese bombers flew over the Miyako Strait and approached Taiwan from the east, before turning around and flying back along the same route.

According to a press release from Japan’s Ministry of Defense Joint Staff, two People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Xi’an H-6 strategic bombers flew from the East China Sea and through the Miyako Strait between the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyakojima. In response, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force launched fighters to monitor the Chinese bombers.

The two H-6 bombers then flew southwest and approached Taiwan’s airspace from the east, according to a flight path map released by Japan’s Ministry of Defense Joint Staff. The bombers then flew back along their original path, CNA reported.

This marks the 9th time PLAAF planes have approached Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) within the last month alone.

These strategic bombers allegedly exercised strikes on targets within Taiwan.

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