Protesters Denounce Taiwan President

About 40 supporters of Taiwan’s Nationalist Party staged an angry demonstration Monday afternoon in Los Angeles demanding that President Lee Teng-hui step down immediately as party chairman.

Lee already announced he will resign his party chairmanship in September, a year ahead of schedule, after his party’s historic defeat in Saturday’s presidential election. But for Lee’s detractors, many of whom believe he deliberately sabotaged the elections, September is not soon enough.

“Lee Teng-hui: Step down!” shouted the small but impassioned band of protesters gathered outside a Wilshire Boulevard office building housing the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, which serves as Taiwan’s de facto consulate. Some waved Taiwanese or Nationalist Party flags. Others held signs proclaiming “Lee Teng-Hui is a traitor” and “Lee step down today.”

Many nationalists say that Lee privately supports Taiwanese independence from China and maneuvered to aid the election of opposition candidate Chen Shui-bian. They fear that if left to his own devices, he could dismantle the party’s billions of dollars in assets.

“The KMT [or Kuomintang, the Nationalist Party] needs to be reformed. But with him in power, it can’t be reformed. He is in position to destroy KMT before he leaves,” said George Kung, who drove from San Diego for the protest. “He’s going to leave the party as a shell.”

Party supporters have formed a KMT Overseas Reform Committee, headquartered in El Monte, and plan another protest next Sunday. Although they disagree with advocates of Taiwanese independence, they say their motivation is avoiding an armed conflict with China.

“People ask me, ‘What’s in it for [you]?’ I’ve been here 35 years. I’m a [U.S.] citizen, I have a very busy practice,” said Kung, who is a doctor. “If we can exert any influence here to avoid a war, I’m going to do my best.”