Taiwan opposition holds new anti-Chen rally

TAIPEI, Mar 19 (Reuters) Thousands of Taiwan opposition supporters took to the streets for the second time in a week today to rail against President Chen Shui-bian and his policies, which they claim are fanning tensions with China.

The protest raised many of the same issues brought up in an opposition rally last Sunday, including Chen's abolishment of the National Unification Council and its guidelines on unification with its giant neighbour, and arms purchases from the United States.

Relations with China have been strained since pro-independence Chen scrapped the council in February, prompting Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory, to call the move a ''dangerous provocation''.

Around 10,000 people gathered near the presidential building in the capital Taipei, holding banners reading, ''We want peace, we oppose the scrapping of the national unification council''.

''This country has too many problems that require our attention, but our country's leaders, our government don't really pay attention to the people's suffering, they can't pull their attention away from the issue of unification or independence,'' Nationalist party chairman Ma Ying-jeou said.

''What people care about is the economic problems, direct links with China, helping people with their with financial debts and clearly probing corruption,'' Ma said.

The rally was much smaller than one organised by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party a day earlier, when more than 100,000 marched in the streets to protest China's threat to use force against the self-ruled island.

The protest coincided with the second anniversary of the shooting of Chen and Vice President Annette Lu as they campaigned in southern Taiwan in an open-topped jeep.

Opposition parties have accused Chen of staging the attack to win sympathy votes in the last presidential election, which Chen won by a razor-thin 0.2 per cent the next day.

They have rejected the outcome of an official probe into the incident and demanded a new inquiry.

REUTERS DKS PM1551