VZCZCXRO7735
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHIN #3426/01 2761030
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 031030Z OCT 06
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2457
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5738
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8144
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 8090
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1429
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9597
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6951
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0418
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5397
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003426 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AIT/W, EAP/TC, INR/EAP 
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV TW
SUBJECT: ANTI-CHEN CAMPAIGN GENERATES LITTLE SUPPORT SOUTH 
OF THE CHUO-SHUI RIVER 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On October 2 the "Depose Chen" movement 
motorcade crossed the Chuo-shui river into the deep Southern 
counties that make up the heartland of the ruling Democratic 
Progressive Party (DPP).  Movement leader Shih Ming-teh, 
denied permission by local DPP authorities to hold events in 
the southern counties of Kaohsiung and Tainan and in 
Kaohsiung City, met counter-protests from local DPP 
supporters and enjoyed only limited resonance in the 
pro-Green areas.  So far, police have been deployed in 
sufficient numbers and have proven able to maintain order by 
separating anti-Chen and pro-Chen supporters.  Scheduled to 
move on October 4 to Taitung County on the east coast, which 
is governed by the opposition Kuomintang, the motorcade will 
soon be entering more friendly territory.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Shih Ming-teh, leader of the "Depose Chen" 
movement, crossed the Chuo-shui river and made his first 
southern stop in the heavily pro-Green southern county of 
Chiayi on October 2, 2006.  County officials denied Shih a 
permit to hold a "sit-in" protest in front of county 
government offices, forcing him to make an impromptu stop in 
the outlying town of Minghsiung.  Approximately 200 local 
people wearing red, the color associated with Shih's 
movement, came out in support and were confronted by 100 
pro-Chen supporters, who blocked the motorcade's advance. 
Shih gave a short two-minute speech from his motorcade near a 
downtown park, criticizing southern DPP magistrates for being 
"un-democratic" by denying him the right to exercise his 
freedom of speech. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Despite minor confrontations between pro-Chen and 
anti-Chen groups, no major incidents of violence were 
reported.  The 1500 police deployed for the event were able 
to effectively keep the anti-Chen motorcade and pro-Chen 
supporters apart.  Many of the DPP supporters appeared to be 
in their late 50s and 60s and some told AIT/K they were 
"mobilized" to come to the site.  Local police followed 
standard protocol, warning Shih that he did not have 
permission to speak publicly or hold a political gathering in 
the park. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Later in the afternoon the motorcade left Chiayi 
County, continuing south to Tainan County, where local DPP 
authorities had also not granted the anti-Chen convoy 
permission to hold rallies.  Police on the outskirts of the 
Tainan County government seat stopped the 20-bus convoy, 
which was greeted by approximately 60-70 red-clad supporters. 
 Another 100 people from the motorcade staged a sit-in to 
protest the police blockade, jamming up roads for several 
hours. The anti-Chen protesters were confronted by over 200 
pro-Chen supporters, who repeatedly tried to break through 
the police line without success to attack the protesters. 
Police detained and removed several of the pro-Chen 
supporters and by 8:00 PM had dispersed the local residents. 
On the road to its next stop, the anti-Chen convoy was pelted 
with rocks and bb-ball fire. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  On October 3 the anti-Chen caravan reached Danshan 
Township in Kaohsiung County, where an opposition legislator 
had received a permit for Shih to hold his first legal rally 
in the south.  The Danshan mayor, a member of the opposition 
Kuomintang, bucked his superior, Kaohsiung County Magistrate 
Yang, to grant the permit. More than 2,000 anti-Chen 
protesters from the area turned up at the township council 
building to show support for Shih.  Approximately 300 DPP 
supporters, many of whom live in senior citizen housing near 
the hall, congregated outside the building and heckled the 
anti-Chen protesters.  Police kept the two groups divided and 
prevented any clashes. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Members of Shih Ming-teh's campaign refused to 
answer reporters' questions regarding their next stop, noting 
that they would no longer reveal details of the motorcade's 
intended route because Tainan police had used the advance 
 
TAIPEI 00003426  002 OF 002 
 
 
warning to block their entry into the city.  The motorcade 
passed by the Kaohsiung City government offices, where there 
was a heavy police presence, despite having no permit to hold 
activities there.  Some minor altercations led to several 
arrests.  Shih's next stop is expected to be Pingtung County, 
where he has permission to hold an anti-Chen rally beginning 
at 6 PM, before moving into the more friendly territory of 
Taitung County, where the KMT Magistrate quickly granted Shih 
a rally permit upon application last week. 
 
THIELE 
 
WANG 
WANG