Photo: Chen Chongzhen

More than 30 political groups in the island of Taiwan on Thursday staged a protest against "Taiwan independence" and external interference. They called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to stop pushing a mobilization act that has been seen as preparing for war. Analysts said the move reflects growing concerns among residents in Taiwan that US provocation may push the island to the abyss.

Recently, the DPP has been mulling revising the controversial All-out Defense Mobilization Readiness Act, which calls for county and city governments as well as news and media organizations to cooperate with government controls that may be implemented over all information networks in case of war or any crisis situation, media reports in the island said.

The draft revision has sparked heated discussions and led to broad opposition from politicians and the public, with many asking whether these changes have been made to cooperate with the US and to prepare for war with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

At a protest on Thursday, Wu Jung-yuan, chairman of the Labor Party and also a convener of the Cross-Straits Peace Forum, said that war is horrible and those who trigger wars are detestable. He said the DPP authority is cooperating with the US in starting wars with the mainland, which the residents in the island will not allow.

Wu noted that this is the crucial moment for residents in Taiwan to save themselves and people across the Straits should work together to realize peaceful reunification.

Wang Wu-lang, secretary-general of the Labor Rights Association also attended the Thursday protest. He told the Global Times that the revision of the mobilization act aims to push the island toward pre-war preparations, which has caused panic.

For a long time, the US and some Western countries and media have incited tensions across the Straits. The revision of the act is not out of the interests of the residents in the island. It is not for the development of the island but an evil result of US interference, said Wang.

"We oppose the US interference and the following crisis of wars. We also oppose 'Taiwan independence,' which may lead to military clashes across the Straits," said Wang.

The US has used various measures to sabotage peaceful reunification and it also attempts to create domestic wars to contain China and push the island into the abyss, Tsai Yu-jung, secretary-general of the Formosan Political Prisoners Association, told the Global Times.

In addition to the proposed revisions, the military authority in the island also asked the education authority to compile a list of all students aged 16 and above and to provide the information to the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency to help the agency know the exact number of people it can mobilize if a war breaks out.

Many protesters on Thursday criticized the DPP for turning the island into a battlefield and making young people canon folder.

More and more residents in the island are realizing that the collusion of the US and the DPP will eventually turn Taiwan into a battlefield while local residents want peace. This is why more people have organized or taken part in protests against the DPP and called for peaceful reunification.