Police break up clash at Taiwan anti-Chen rally

TAIPEI, Sep 19 (Reuters) Riot police broke up a clash between a group calling for the resignation of Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian and Chen supporters in the southern city of Kaohsiung, police said.

One or two people suffered minor injuries in the clash and three people, mostly from the pro-Chen group, were arrested and later released, a Kaohsiung police spokesman said.

The scuffle began last evening in the port city, Taiwan's second largest, when about 100 people held a sit-in as part of a national campaign to call for Chen's resignation, the spokesman said.

A larger group of 300-400 pro-Chen supporters surrounded the sit-in demonstrators, and a scuffle broke out, prompting local police to send in a riot squad to separate the two groups, he said.

The clash comes after thousands rallied in the capital Taipei last Friday in a largely peaceful demonstration calling for Chen to quit over allegations of misuse of state funds and a string of financial scandals involving family members and a former aide.

Chen's wife, Wu Shu-chen, is also accused of accepting millions of Taiwan dollars in department store gift certificates, while his son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming, faces insider-trading charges.

Chen rejects allegations of corruption and wrongdoing and has said he will not resign unless required to go by law.

An estimated 50,000 pro-Chen demonstrators also took to the streets on Saturday in support of the president in a smaller protest that was also largely peaceful.

Shih Ming-teh, leader of the anti-Chen campaign, said he plans to hold a protest march in the capital on October 10, coinciding with Taiwan National Day celebrations.

Several thousand anti-Chen protestors are continuing a sit-in in front of the Taipei railway station, just several city blocks from the presidential office.

REUTERS LL DS1052