RETIRED MILITARY PERSONNEL BEGIN MONTH-LONG PENSION PROTEST|年改會議未受邀 退伍軍人立院前抗議

On Feb, 21, hundreds of retired military personnel began a month-long demonstration in front of the Legislative Yuan to protest the government's pension reform plan. Calling themselves the "800 heroes", veteran groups said that they will march around the Legislative Yuan twice a day to make their voices heard. The Ministry of Defense called for calm from the veterans. Singing and chanting slogans, retired military personnel marched around the Legislative Yuan to protest over the government's pension reform plans. They were dissatisfied that the government didn't invite them to attend the National Affairs Conference on pension reform, but only told them that it would design a separate pension reform plan for them. Calling themselves the "800 heroes", these retired military personnel vowed to camp out around the Legislative Yuan for a month to pressure the government. == WU CHI-LIANG Dep. Sec-Gen. Veterans Association of the R.O.C== If we cannot achieve our goal within a month, we will start the second phase of the protest. It will last for three months, just like the 1937 Battle of Shanghai. If this does not work as well, we will hold a long protest against the government. == WU SHIH-HUAI Dep. Head R.O.C. Military Academy Alumni Assn.== The Ministry of Defense has not come to negotiate with us. They did not provide us with a reform plan. It is very disappointing that they came up with a plan without asking our opinions. Facing opposition, the Ministry of Defense called for calm from the retired military personnel. == CHEN CHUNG-CHI MOD spokesperson== We will continue to communicate and negotiate with our comrades. We will help military officers and soldiers, along with their family members, to strive for their rights and benefits. Groups of public servants, public school teachers and workers, all came to support the military, saying that they are unified as a whole. ==LEE LAI-HSI Dir., National Civil Servant Assn.== Young people and the future generation will be the greatest victims of pension reform. It's not that we are only fighting for our interests, as some have accused us. ==HUANG YAO-NAN Chair, Nat. Senior High School Teachers' Union== If the Tsai administration continues to act rashly and arbitrarily, I believe that people will rise up and fight. == WANG YU-WEN Taiwan Labor Welfare Alliance convener== Public servants, public school teachers and workers are unified as a whole. Starting from now, we will together fight against the government to the end. According to the organizer, around 1,500 to 2,000 people participated in the protest. Retired military personnel said that they will put up tents and stand guard in front of the Legislative Yuan in shifts to make their voices heard. They also said that if the government does not make any response, they may hold a large-scale protest. TRANSLATED BY ARIEL HSIEH 軍人年金改革，將單獨設計，不滿政府都不邀請軍人共同討論，退伍軍人站出來，號召八百壯士，今天起在立法院前長期抗戰一個月，每天繞行立法院兩次表達抗議，國防部呼籲要冷靜以對。 上午11點一到，由退伍軍人帶頭，唱歌喊口號，繞行立法院，不滿政府在年金改革國是會議上，沒邀軍人，只強調軍人年金要單獨設計，退伍軍人發出怒吼，號召八百壯士，一同在立法院長期抗戰。 ==退伍軍人協會副理事長 吳其樑== 一個月沒有達成目標 第二階段三個月 當年的上海保衛戰就三個月 最後不行就長期抗戰 ==年金改革行動聯盟軍系發言人 吳斯懷== 國防部到目前沒有跟我們協調 也沒有拿出他們的版本 沒有找過我們去 他們就做他們的版本 這個非常地讓我們失望 面對退伍軍人不滿大砍年金，國防部呼籲冷靜以對。 ==國防部發言人 陳中吉== 我們也希望 繼續努力溝通 還有協調 為我們的袍澤 還有官兵以及眷屬 爭取最大的權益跟福利 針對年金改革，退伍軍人率先站出來抗爭，公教勞也到場力挺，強調軍公教勞一條心。 ==全國公務人員協會理事長 李來希== 年金改革不管是軍或公教 受傷害最大的是 年輕人跟未來一代 不要把我們打成說 我們只為我們自己的利益 ==[[and]全國教育產業總工會理事長 黃耀南== 如果現在蔡英文政府 還是要繼續不斷地蠻幹下去 我相信人民會起義 ==台北企業總工會理事長 王裕文== 軍公教勞團結在一起 我們從今天這一刻 絕對跟他(政府)戰到底 為期一個月的抗爭行動，第一天主辦單位預估有1500到2000人共同響應，未來將搭帳篷、輪流輪班，固守在立法院大門口前，要政府聽建他們的聲音，如果政府遲遲沒有回應，不排除擴大抗爭規模。 記者 林欣儀 彭耀祖 台北報導