Hundreds protest in Taipei after student suicide

The new wave of protest was sparked by the suicide of one of student leaders, 20-year-old Lin Kuan-hua, on Thursday, state-run Central News Agency said.

Protesters who gathered in a large crowd early Friday demanded that the minister resign.

A protester walks past a banner reading “Education Minister Wu Se-hwa is a murderer” outsi …

The disputed history textbook guidelines concern terminology used in reference to Japan’s 50-year occupation of Taiwan and China’s subsequent rule over the island.

At least 200 students scaled the building’s fences overnight and camped in the compound in the capital, Taipei.

After visiting Lin’s family, Wu refused to comment on media speculation over the reasons for Lin’s suicide.

A protester spray-paints “government is a murderer” on a pillar outside the ministry this morning (via SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images) Reports suggest that, last week, police arrested 33 people – including Mr Kuan-Ha – for illegal entry and damaging public property when a group of students burst into the minister’s office and blocked authorities from entering. Under pro-Beijing President Massachusetts Ying-jeou, experts agree that the relationship between both countries has improved greatly.

Taiwan became self-governed in the 1940s after a civil war but China still considers it part of its territory.

Students occupied parliament for three weeks last year over a trade deal with China in a protest known as the Sunflower Movement, inspiring a new generation of activists.

The 20-year-old, who dropped out of vocational school in June, was facing charges of breaching government premises and causing damage after last week’s break-in.

“We really regret this incident and that we couldn’t stop this from happening”, he said.

“I hope all the children involved with the curriculum discussion will express their opinion in an appropriate channel”, she said, sobbing, in a recording played to reporters at a press conference held by the ministry.

“This dispute has been going on for a while”.

Those protesting the revisions contend that the new points of emphasis in the curriculum introduce “China-centric” ideology and that the process through which the changes were made was not transparent enough.

Huang Kun-hui, chairman of the anti-China Taiwan Solidarity Union, demanded the education minister immediately drop charges against the students and take responsibility by stepping down.