[3146] PCT sit-in rallies underscoring people’s plight continue in Kaohsiung, Yunlin, and Miaoli

PCT sit-in rallies underscoring people’s plight continue in Kaohsiung, Yunlin, and Miaoli

Reported by Simon Lin

Written by Lydia Ma

In response to the June 12 legislative debate on whether to relax the ban of U.S. beef imports containing ractopamine, members of Kaohsiung and Shou-Shan presbyteries braved the rain on June 11 to perform a short drama outdoors on this issue and prayed for God to help Taiwan. A similar event had already taken place in Miaoli and Chiayi on June 9.

Members from Kaohsiung and Shou-Shan presbyteries sang the chorus of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” at Kaohsiung Central Park despite the rain. During the performance, Rev. Chang Hsien-chueh used a knife and made a big slice through a giant prop in the form of a piece of beef. When he did so, images of ractopamine appeared underneath.

Later on, another pastor explained that, according to the book of Leviticus, all animals used in sacrifices by the Israelites must be without blemish for them to be acceptable to God. However, the type of beef imports being debated now in the Legislative Yuan is neither fit for human consumption nor sacrifice to God. This meat is poisonous, displeasing to God, and dangerous to human health.

The event in Chiayi took place at a park in Douliou City and former Yunlin Acting Magistrate Lee Ching-yung, also a Christian, was one of the people invited to speak at the event. According to Lee, the Ma administration’s recent policies to raise the price of fuel and electricity have been disorganized. It wrongly predicted the trend of the international price for petroleum, resulting in a hasty decline of fuel prices afterwards, but this adjustment was unable to bring down the price of other commodities that had risen because of the initial rise in fuel prices. As for the price hike for electricity, Lee said it was chiefly the result of mismanagement, waste of public funds, and corruption. He added that the public deserves an explanation before price hikes take effect.

Chiayi Presbytery General Secretary Huang Shih-wei said that the reason why the PCT is organizing these silent protests for one month across Taiwan is to remind the government about the will of the people. He added that though these protests are by no means mass rallies, they are still impressive. But he also underscored that a major theme of these protests is to remind the people of Taiwan to fight for their rights.

A sit-in protest also took place on June 9 in Miaoli in front of the county’s government building. Members from Atayal, Hsinchu, and Hakka presbyteries took part in this event.

Photo by Simon Lin