FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1) Why is this movement called "the sunflower student movement" ?
- This term was popularised after a floristry contributed 1000 sunflowers to the students outside the Legislative Yuan building.
- "Sunflower" is also an allusion to the Wild Lily Movement of 1990 which set a milestone in the democratization of Taiwan.
- The movement is also known as the "March 18 Student Movement" (318學運) or "Occupy Taiwan Legislature" (佔領國會事件).
2) Why are the students against the agreement?
- The protesters perceive the trade pact with China would hurt Taiwan's economy and leave it vulnerable to political pressure from Beijing.
- They also believe it will leave Taiwan open to Chinese invasion and will ultimately lead to the re-anexation of Taiwan to China.
3) What has the government done regarding the students demands?
- The government has done nothing regarding the student`s petitions. They want to silence them and avoid the media from covering all the "incidents" regarding the student`s protests and demands.
- A clear demonstration of this was during the Executive Bureau eviction in which police used water cannons and baton strikes to force the students out and prevent the media from covering the story.
4) Did people got injured during the protests?
- During the legislative chamber occupation 1 police officer was seriously injured and 6 students were arrested.
- During the executive bureau occupation, more than 150 people were injured and 61 were arrested.
5) Is Taiwan part of china?
- No. Taiwan is an independent state in East Asia that is governed by the Republic of China, which is different from mainland China.
6) Who is the kuomintang?
- The Kuomintang (KMT) is the current ruling political party in Republic of China. The name literally means "the Chinese National People`s Party".
7) Does the protesters believe in the government?
- They have halted the protests in the legislative yuan, but it is just an instance.
8) Can I see the original agreement somewhere?
- The original paper is 55 pages and it is only in Chinese. 7 page English summary can be found from www.ecfa.org.tw/EcfaAttachment/ECFADoc/ECFA.pdf
9) When was the agreement made? Is it already legal?
- Agreement was signed in Shanghai in June 2013. It still requires the Parlament's approval.