Taiwan protestors set to encircle president's office

TAIPEI, Sept. 15 Kyodo

Protestors plan to circle the main administrative district in Taipei on Friday evening after six days of around-the-clock demonstrations to mount pressure on President Chen Shui-bian to step down over a string of corruption scandals besetting his inner circle.

The unprecedented ''encirclement plan'' will kick off with tens of thousands of people setting out after sunset from the broad boulevard in front of the heavily guarded presidential palace and marching through the streets around Chen's workplace and residence until midnight.

Law enforcement authorities have deployed more than 3,800 police in the area to maintain order and avert potential conflicts between pro- and anti-Chen demonstrators.

Shih Ming-teh, former chairman of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party who spearheads the rally, has said the action will be lawful and nonviolent, and warned against military suppression.

''If one single drop of blood is spilled, Chen Shui-bian is to be blamed,'' Shih said. ''We are harmless people.''

Shih has said earlier he will not rule out the possibility of a large-scale labor strike in October should Chen, who has so far given no response to the movement, refuse to quit.

Chen has been under fire since his son-in-law was detained in May and later indicted over insider trading.

His wife has been accused of receiving vouchers from a department store in exchange for lobbying, and a close aide has been charged with corruption and insider trading.

A probe into Chen's use of state funds also began after the audit agency found in late June possible irregularities in financial reports by the president's office and the opposition accused him of embezzlement.

Chen has denied any wrongdoing.

Seeing that Shih's campaign has stoked up an anti-Chen mood, the DPP has decided to fight back by mobilizing 100,000 supporters to take to the streets in Taipei on Saturday.

But mixed signals have been sent to Chen in the past two days by his political allies as well as the DPP's potential candidates in the 2008 presidential election, with party Chairman Yu Shyi-kun vehemently backing the rally, while Vice President Annette Lu and Premier Su Tseng-chang turned down the invitation to join it.

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