As the occupation of the legislature enters its 21st day, we give our deepest gratitude to the citizens of Taiwan for their participation and support. It is they who have given this movement a strong, justifiable cause from the beginning. Today, we would like to announce an important decision. The occupation of the legislature has completed its task at this phase, and has achieved substantial progress. It has made Taiwanese citizens realize that it is our choice not to let the rules and authority of the past generation to confine us, and that the constitutional principle that “sovereignty shall reside in the whole body of citizens” is a living experience that belongs to every Taiwanese citizen of our generation. We understand that each person holds a different expectation and aspiration toward this movement; however, as we look back on the achievements we’ve made so far, we’ve decided that the time has come to convert the energy gathered by a students’ movement into a citizens’ movement. This is the right moment for the youth in the legislature to walk to all corners of Taiwan.
Here are the achievements regarding the four demands of this movement:
1. Legislation of an oversight mechanism for cross-strait agreements: The draft of the Cross-Strait Agreement Establishment and Supervision Act proposed by civic groups (in accordance with the amendment of the Act Governing Exercise of Rights of the Legislative Yuan) has obtained support from 140 legal scholars and been sent to the Conference Department of the Legislative Yuan; on the other hand, the Executive Yuan has also sent its draft of oversight act to the Legislative Yuan. We would like to reiterate the 5 principles for legislation of the oversight of cross-strait agreements: Citizens’ participation, legislative supervision, the safeguarding of human rights, information transparency, and the duty of the government.
2. Legislation (of the oversight act) before review (of the Cross-Strait Services Trade Agreement): Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng agreed on April 6th that no negotiation regarding the Services Trade Agreement will be held between the parties before the legislation of the oversight act. Later, Mayor Hau Lung-pin of Taipei City and Mayor Jason Hu of Taichung City (both from the KMT) also publicly showed support for legislation before review.
3. Call for Citizens’ Constitutional Assembly: Students and civic groups have held Grassroots Citizens’ Forums on the grounds around the Legislative Yuan on April 6th, and its resolution was passed on to be discussed in the Forerunner Forum for the Citizens’ Constitutional Assembly to be held in the Legislative Yuan on April 8th. Both forums have responded to the public’s expectation and aspiration for a Citizens’ Constitutional Assembly.
4. Send back CSSTA: The March 24th resolution of the Joint Committee of the Legislative Yuan has decided that the Executive Yuan should send back and renegotiate CSSTA. We look forward to the subsequent actions of the Executive Yuan following this resolution.
The four demands mentioned above are only part of what we have achieved. Whether in regards to the constitutional democracy in Taiwan or international geopolitics, the consequences of this movement are far beyond our original anticipation.
In terms of national constitutional democracy, President Ma and his administration,
We are in the process of discussing and planning what is next for the movement. We aim to dig our roots deep around the country, using speeches, marches, grassroots forums, internet-based civic movements, and monitoring of the legislature, to augment our dual goals of resisting CSSTA and the legalization of the oversight mechanism. With the numerous grassroots forums and conferences held in recent days both in and outside of the Legislative Yuan, we have sown the seeds for our demand of a Citizens’ Constitutional Assembly, which we will continue to grow throughout the country with more forums and citizens’ conferences. In short, we will expand awareness of the monumental challenges our country currently faces.
During our occupation of the Legislative Yuan, a group of students from central and southern Taiwan formed a Democratic Black Wave Alliance on their own initiative, aiming to pressure legislators following the directive of President Ma. These past few days, they have assembled in northern Taiwan to spread their word in electoral districts represented by Lin Hung-chih, Lin Te-fu, and Wu Yu-sheng, receiving massive support in each case. This shows that there is a massive wave of energy lying with the Taiwanese people, and by stepping out of the Legislative Yuan, we aim to use this potential to bring positive change to Taiwan. In addition to the Democratic Black Wave Alliance, many student and civic groups have also come together and coordinated their forces through this movement. Outside of the Legislative Yuan, we will form organizations around the country to gather the momentum of all reform-minded young people.
As we step out of the Legislative Yuan and initialize our grassroots movement, we call on legislators from all parties to fulfill their responsibilitie
We invite all our friends in Taipei to come to the Legislative Yuan once again at 6 pm on Thursday, to welcome all those who have devoted their time and effort inside the chamber. We will take on the offensive by sowing the seeds of our movement far and wide, and we welcome all across Taiwan who support our movement to join in with us. When legislators renounce the will of the people whom they represent, putting self-interest above all else, we will dig deep into society to make it a conference of the voice of the people.