Civil groups in Taiwan are worried about four new proposals by the main opposition Kuomintang which they say could threaten democratic systems in place and leave the country vulnerable to Chinese influence.
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00:00拒絕民主倒退 公民持續守衛 中國國民黨不要亂
00:12Leaders of the Blue Bird civil movement, which saw tens of thousands of protesters take to
00:16the streets earlier this year, are now sounding the alarm over four bills proposed by the
00:21opposition 國民黨 ahead of next week's new legislative session.
00:25They're concerned about a proposal to allow lawmakers to play a greater role in national
00:29security decision-making by getting an early preview of defense spending proposals.
00:34The KMT legislator who proposed the bill said it's meant to streamline national security
00:38coordination between branches of the government and is in keeping with how the U.S. handles
00:43its defense budget.
00:45Activists say they're also worried about a proposal to shorten the number of years it
00:49takes for Chinese spouses to receive identity cards from six to four years, citing what
00:54they say are conflicting loyalties.
00:56The KMT says the change is to provide Chinese spouses equal rights with other nationalities.
01:02The key concern among activists is that these new reforms could harm Taiwan's democratic
01:07processes and leave the country susceptible to Chinese influence.
01:10These four bills are threatening the democracy of our country, so we have to take action.
01:17If the Chinese KMT were to pass these bills in the next session, I believe the citizens
01:22of Taiwan would take action.
01:24The Bluebird movement started earlier this year as a protest movement against proposed
01:28reforms by the opposition-controlled legislature, which would have given lawmakers greater oversight
01:33of the executive branch and President Lai Ching-te.
01:36That bill passed in May, but is now suspended as it undergoes constitutional review.
01:41Although the movement has been less active in recent months, these civil society groups
01:45are here to show lawmakers that they will be paying close attention to the next legislative
01:50session and are ready to protest if needed.
01:53I'm Howard Zhang and Tiffany Wong in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.