President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu joined a march with tens of thousands of citizens on March 18, voicing their determinations to protect Taiwan from being annexed by the People's Republic of China.
"We are here to protect Taiwan and our democracy from being annexed and abridged by China," the president said, adding that marching for the country's peace and democracy is an indivisible part of the popular sovereignty.
In his remarks delivered to the marchers, the president time and again associated the ceasing of the National Unification Council and its Guidelines with the basic human rights the 23 million citizens on the island are entitled to enjoy. "To cease the National Unification Council and its Guidelines means to allow basic human rights to take roots in our land and become part of our life," the president said.
The president has always connected the basic human rights to referendum and freedom to choose. "Our country needs a referendum mechanism, and our citizens must not be deprived of the freedom to choose," the president emphasized again and added that "any singular and ultimate goal is truly against the sovereignty of the people."
The vice president pointed out the challenges Taiwan has faced from within and without in the past six years. "Six years ago today we made history by accomplishing a democratic regime rotation and since then our country has faced unreasonable constraints from the domestic opposition parties and the hegemonic threat posed by China," the vice president reiterated to the marchers.
The president concluded in his remarks by saying that "Though the road to our country's future is bumpy, I will certainly walk with you to stride on the right path and take the right turn." The vice president at the same time praised the marchers and reaffirmed the four principles laid out by the president that the cross-strait relations must be based on sovereignty, democracy, peace, and reciprocity.