After fights broke out in Taiwan’s legislative yuan on May 17th sending several legislators to the hospital, the public gathered in protest outside of the legislative yuan. There have been over 30,000, 100,000 and 70,000 people gathered at three of the major protests which are being called the Bluebird movement. The name is a play on the name of the road nearby the legislative yean where protests began (青島東路).
I spoke with Taipei Times columnist Michael Turton and his son Sebastian on May 27th about the controversial bills that have caused such widespread dissent. Sebastian shared what he saw at the protests in Taipei on Tuesday, May 22 and Friday, May 24.
I also spoke with Sean Su after a set of the controversial legislative reform bills passed on May 28th.
There have been protests all over Taiwan in 15 different cities, and even globally. The New York Bluebird, a group of politically conscious New York City-based Taiwanese have worked with Keep Taiwan Free to raise funds for a billboard in New York’s Times Square to promote awareness of the Bluebird movement. The billboard will appear on Tuesday, June 4 at 6:00pm.
Related Links:
Legislature in chaos over legislative reform bills: https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202405170022
Taiwan’s ‘Bluebird Movement’ born from controversial measures: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5878867
Taiwan’s parliament passes controversial bills seen as limiting government’s mandate: https://www.voanews.com/a/taiwan-s-parliament-passes-controversial-bills-seen-as-limiting-government-s-mandate/7630376.html
Third reading of major part of ‘legislative reform’ bills passed: https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202405280017
Ma Ying-jeou: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Ying-jeou
Kuomintang (KMT): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuomintang
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Progressive_Party
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_People%27s_Party
Puma Shen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puma_Shen
Changhua: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changhua
Threads (Instagram app): https://www.threads.net/
Taiwan in political turmoil as China steps up military intimidation (Financial Times article): https://www.ft.com/content/5fdb360d-bdf0-4de0-acf1-c6e17f203cd6
Legislator Fu Kun-chi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu_Kun-chi
Turton’s TT columns about east coast highway bill:
Notes from Central Taiwan: Taiwan’s construction-industrial money pit
Legislator Fu Kun-chi’s proposal to build a highway linking Hualien to Taitung is expensive and completely unnecessary — and it’s money that could be better spent on the nation’s defense: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2024/04/08/2003816100
Notes from Central Taiwan: Hualien needs you
Following last month’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake, tourism in the county has dried up. Now is the time to book a trip to the east coast: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2024/05/13/2003817775
Han Kuo-yu Recall: More Than Just About China: https://globaltaiwan.org/2020/06/han-kuo-yu-recall-more-than-just-about-china/
Lao Ren Cha blog: https://laorencha.blogspot.com/
Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huang_Kuo-chang
New Power Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Power_Party
Ko Wen-je: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Wen-je
Articles about the Sunflower Movement March 30, 2014 rally:
Protests over a Taiwan-China trade pact continued, with up to 350,000 attending a rally outside the Presidential Office: https://thediplomat.com/2014/03/hundreds-of-thousands-protest-against-trade-pact-in-taiwan/
TRADE PACT SIEGE: Rallies held across globe for Sunflower movement (an article from the Taipei Times): http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/04/01/2003587023
Taiwan’s Homegrown Submarine at the Center of Political Firestorm
Accusations of leaking sensitive information about the submarine program – including to China – have sparked a wave of lawsuits and counter-suits: https://thediplomat.com/2023/10/taiwans-homegrown-submarine-at-the-center-of-political-firestorm/
Chen Shui-bian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Shui-bian
Inauguration of Lai Ching-te as the president of Taiwan: https://www.youtube.com/live/n3FqroOGG1Y?si=Uy5aXBJnffe5ntw5
Biking in Taiwan with Blogger Michael Turton Ep 138: https://talkingtaiwan.com/biking-in-taiwan-with-blogger-michael-turton/
Michael Turton: Taipei Times Columnist Talks About the 1992 Consensus Ep 257
Michael Turton: Taipei Times Columnist Talks About the 1992 Consensus Ep 257: https://talkingtaiwan.com/michael-turton-taipei-times-columnist-talks-about-the-1992-consensus-ep-257/
Eric Chang: On the Unfolding Situation at the Legislative Yuan during the Sunflower Movement Ep 231
Eric Chang: On the Unfolding Situation at the Legislative Yuan during the Sunflower Movement (Episode 231): https://talkingtaiwan.com/eric-chang-on-the-unfolding-situation-at-the-legislative-yuan-during-the-sunflower-movement-ep-231/
Our Post Presidential Election Analysis 2024 with Courtney Donovan Smith Ep 274
Our Post Presidential Election Analysis 2024 with Courtney Donovan Smith (Episode 274): https://talkingtaiwan.com/our-post-presidential-election-analysis-2024-with-courtney-donovan-smith-ep-274/
Jiho Chang: His Thoughts about New Speaker Legislative Yuan and Taiwan’s Vice President-elect Ep 275
Jiho Chang: His Thoughts about New Speaker Legislative Yuan and Taiwan’s Vice President-elect Ep 275: https://talkingtaiwan.com/jiho-chang-his-thoughts-about-new-speaker-legislative-yuan-and-taians-vice-president-elect-ep-275/