Mar 31, 5:22 AM EDT

Taiwan opposition stages parade to protect Chiang Kai-shek's legacy
 
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- Thousands of opposition supporters marched through Taipei on Saturday to denounce a government campaign attacking the legacy of modern Taiwan's founder, Gen. Chiang Kai-shek.

Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian and his Democratic Progressive Party have condemned Chiang for stifling the island's early attempts at democracy.

Several protesters held portraits of Chiang, who exerted a tight control over Taiwanese politics after his Nationalists fled Communist forces when they took over mainland China amid civil war in 1949.

The Nationalists - now the main opposition party - concede the excesses of Chiang's rule. But they also credit him with developing Taiwan's economy and fending off a possible Chinese invasion by building up a strong army.

Chanting slogans of "Save the Economy, Stop Power Struggle," the protesters accused the DPP of launching the anti-Chiang campaign to rally support in the run-up to the presidential election in March 2008.

Police officials said there were about 3,000 people at the protest.

"No historical figures were perfect," said Ma Ying-jeou, a former Nationalist chairman who is widely expected to be the opposition's presidential candidate. "We could reassess (Chiang's) legacy but must not deny all of his accomplishments."

Chen, who was the island's second elected president in 2000, has long criticized Chiang as an oppressor. Chiang died in 1975, and his son Chiang Ching-kuo succeeded him as president years later. Taiwan held its first direct presidential election in 1996.

The ruling DPP has held Chiang responsible for imprisoning many of Taiwan's early democratic campaigners.

Chen recently called for removing Chiang's name from a Taipei memorial park dedicated to him. A giant bronze statue of Chiang was dismantled in an auditorium in the southern city of Kaohsiung this month.

The protesters called on the government to instead seek spurring economic development, saying its mismanagement of the economy has led to a steady increase in jobless rates.

Asia Observer