TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A crowd of 800 people gathered outside the legislature on Monday evening (March 18) with speeches and commemorative events held on the 10th anniversary of the student-led Sunflower Movement, which opposed closer economic ties with China.

Organized by 30 NGOs, the event took place on Jinan Road, adjacent to a wall and building that students breached during their 23-day occupation of Taiwan’s legislature. Students took dramatic actions after the KMT pushed a broad-sweeping Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) for ratification, leading to student actions to call for a “clause by clause” review, per NewTalk.

Students later agreed to leave the legislature after politicians agreed to provide greater transparency and more careful monitoring of all cross-strait agreements. The high-profile nature of the Sunflower Movement also allowed several student leaders to be elected into office.

Youth turn out to remember 10th anniversary of Sunflower Movement (CNA photo)

Taiwan Economic Democracy Union Deputy Secretary General Hsu Kuan-tze (許冠澤) told the assembled crowd on Monday (March 18) to continue opposing trade in services and goods with China. Hsu said President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and the legislature should also refuse to participate in any negotiations with China where the "one-China principle" is a prerequisite.

Taiwan Economic Democracy Union Convener Lai Chung-Chiang (賴中強) was the next to speak, telling the crowd that many of the demands put forward by the Sunflower Movement 10 years ago had been achieved, such as stalled ratification of CSSTA and increased oversight into cross-strait agreements.

Lai said the deterioration of China’s economy and the reorganization of global supply chains may have contributed to less interest in restarting trade talks between Taiwan and China. Lai expressed regret that the Sunflower Movement did not achieve comprehensive constitutional reform, though it did remind many that Taiwan still has a long way to go to create a more perfect government.



National Students' Union of Taiwan (NSUT) Chair Weng Hsin-jou (翁歆媃) said the Sunflower Movement should be used to spur more dialogue and cooperation with citizen groups and create more platforms for dialogue with the public. Weng said that key legislation and major policies should be promulgated only after discussions with NGOs and other representatives of civil society.

NGOs and speakers remember the student-led Sunflower Movement. (CNA photo)