wfn.org | PCT leads thousands in prayer at ECFA sit-in on May 20

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3039 Edition

>May 24~30, 2010

PCT leads thousands in prayer at  ECFA sit-in on May 20

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

May 20, 2010 marked the second anniversary of President Ma  Ying-jeou’s 
inauguration. On

this day, former Premier Frank Hsieh launched a sit-in and street  protest 
supporting a

nationwide referendum on an economic cooperation framework  agreement (ECFA) 
with

China. The sit-in took place just outside of the Legislative Yuan.

Notable figures present at the sit-in included PCT General  Secretary Andrew 
Chang, PCT

Church and Society Committee Secretary Ng Tiat-gan, DPP Chairwoman  Tsai 
Ing-wen, two

former Premiers Yu Shyi-kun and Frank Hsieh, and Taiwan Solidarity  Union 
Chairman Huang

>Kun-huei.

Rev. Chang led more than 1,000 participants gathered there in  prayer. He 
especially prayed

for the first round of ECFA petitions to pass successfully during  a review 
scheduled on June 3.

He also prayed for the second round of ECFA petitions to amass  more than 1 
million

>signatures.

Commenting of President Ma’s job performance in the past two  years, Rev. Chang 
criticized

the President’s disappointing performance, disregard for  Taiwanese people, and 
China-

leaning policies. He especially used ECFA as an illustration of  the Ma 
administration’s

>shortcomings and failings.

Rev. Chang underscored that the real problem with ECFA wasn’t  so much whether 
Taiwan

should sign this agreement, but rather, the unsettling fact that  the Ma 
administration has

persistently hidden details and negative consequences of signing  ECFA from 
Taiwanese

>people.

According to Chang, PCT has always maintained that Taiwan is an  independent 
country and

must be protected from corrupt and greedy politicians. Calling a  referendum on 
ECFA is a

means to strengthen and exercise democracy and rally people to  protect it. 
Believing these

things to be important, PCT General Assembly Executive Committee  voted a few 
months ago

to support PCT as a sponsor of ECFA referendum.

Rev. Chang urged President Ma to relent and accept the result of a  possible 
referendum. He

also noted that a referendum is the most basic form of democracy  and President 
Ma ought to

>hear and respect the wishes of the people.

Church and Society Committee Secretary Ng Tiat-gan commented that  petitioning 
for a

referendum is a good opportunity for Taiwanese people to practice  civic 
responsibility. He

urged PCT members to support this initiative as a way of living  out PCT’s 
confession of faith,

especially the part about the church being rooted in Taiwan and  identifying 
with all its

inhabitants.

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