Taipei - Tens of thousands of Taiwan separatists marched through Taipei Saturday to protest President Ma Ying-jeou's pro-China policy and the island's economic woes. Holding placards and shouting slogans, the demonstrators marched through the main streets in Taipei and held a rally in front of the Presidential Office Building to mark 100 days since Ma took office.
The protest was organized by a dozen pro-independence groups, led by the Taiwan Society and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Organizers said 100,000 people joined in the march, but police put the number at around 40,000.
The National Police Administration mobilized 2,000 police officers to maintain order along the route and to prevent clashes between demonstrators and Ma supporters.
Speaking at the rally, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ying-wen blasted Ma for sacrificing Taiwan's sovereignty in seeking reconciliation with China and for failing to revitalize Taiwan's economy.
What the KMT has failed to deliver, she said, the DPP can. "We promise to give Taiwan people a better DPP, to improve the economy and to create a more democratic Taiwan," she said.
Ma's party, the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), said it welcomed DPP's criticisms but it was not responsible for all of Taiwan's problems.
"We welcome DPP's monitoring our performance because it can lead to fair competition. We will try harder to improve Taiwan's economy," the KMT said in a statement.
But KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung blasted the DPP for holding the march to divert public attention away from ex-president Chen Shui- bian's corruption scandal.
"The DPP is responsible for Taiwan's economic downturn in the past eight years, but some people are trying to make the KMT shoulder this responsibility. I believe that our people have their own judgement," he said.
Ex-president Chen, formerly a DPP leader, ruled Taiwan from 2000- 2008. DPP lost the 2008 presidential election to the KMT due to corruption scandals involving Chen and Chen's officials, as well as Taiwan-China tension caused by Chen's advocating Taiwan independence.
Chen and his family are being investigated for alleged money laundering involving millions of US dollars.
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.
