Students on fasting, Chen Shui-bian did not show up
(chinadaily.com.cn/agencies)
Updated: 2004-04-07 15:50

The student protesters have been staging a hunger strike in central Taipei since last Friday in an appeal to investigate the shooting of Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu and demanding that Chen apologize for manipulating the media after he was shot on the eve of the election.

A student refuses to eat and drink to protest the March 20 election. [people.com.cn]

Students are taking turns going without food for 12 hours, labeling the action a hunger strike.

Tien Wei-li, a student at Feng Chia University in Taichung, fainted Tuesday morning after claiming to have been on a 88-hour fast. He was taken to hospital for treatment before being released.

"I hope Chen can come to talk to us," a teary Tien said at the hospital, adding that he did not regret joining the sit-in.

Another hunger-striking student surnamed Chu took himself to the hospital by taxi after he began to feel dizzy. Doctors at the hospital said the condition of both students was stable and that they could be immediately discharged.

Tien and Chu then returned to the scene of the protest and continued their hunger strike.

The hunger strike students were not satisfied even though Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan and People First Party Chairman James Soong visited them.

Chen Cheng-feng, a student leader, said: "It is the chairman of the ruling party, Chen Shui-bian that we want to meet. We hope he comes here as soon as possible, sit down and talk to us face to face."

As Taiwan's political groups wonder which side of the fence they belong to, the students insist their political preferences have nothing to do with the hunger strike.

Late in the day, spokesman James Huang for Chen Shui-bian's office said the "president" would respond to the students' requests at the appropriate time.

More than two weeks have passed since Taiwan's "presidential election" was held, but many people are still unhappy over the results of the polls and the circumstances surrounding it.

The issue of a vote recount has yet to be resolved and investigations into the shooting of Chen Shui Bian and his deputy remain unanswered.

The pan-blue supporters staged protests. Parliament met to debate on the issue of a vote recount. The opposition even went to the court asking it to nullify the March 20 polls.

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