Taiwan separatists to hold march against President Ma

Aug 30, 2008, 2:19 GMT

Taipei - Tens of thousands of Taiwan separatists gathered in Taipei Saturday to protest President Ma Ying-jeou's pro-China policy and the island's economic woes.

The demonstrators will march through the main streets in Taipei and hold a rally in front of the Presidential Office Building to marks 100 days since Ma took office.

The protest is organized by a dozen pro-independence groups, led by the Taiwan Society and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The organizers expect 100,000 people to join in the march.

The National Police Administration has mobilized 2,200 police officers to maintain order along the route and to prevent clashes between demonstrators and Ma supporters.

'The purpose of the march is to safeguard Taiwan's sovereignty,' said Tsai Ying-wen, chairwoman of the DPP, Taiwan's largest pro- independence party.

Tsai accused Ma, of the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), of sacrificing Taiwan's sovereignty in exchange for reconciliation with China.

She also blamed Ma for failing to honor his inauguration promise to halt Taiwan's economic downturn.

Several public opinion polls have shown that while most Taiwanese support Ma's seeking peace with China, between 30-40 per cent of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with the economy.