TASalum I really don’t want to argue about this because as I stated in my comment.  I don’t have all the facts so it would be useless for me to argue if I don’t know what is going on.  However, it does not limit me to having an opinion.  Don’t go arguing to me over the fact that I don’t have a clear sense of what is going on because I have clearly stated that my knowledge is limited.  Economic development does not just mean everyone gets more money.  Economic development allows for increased possibilities for the majority.  More funds to expand the Taipei Metro, more funds to increase the standards of education, more funds for government projects.  Money is not everything (which is of course an ironic statement when discussion politics), and in case you don’t realize this.  The last time a major protest happened, it was the end of democracy, but for one thing the President hasn’t ordered the use of the military, the President does have the right as the Executive Yuan to use the police force to contain the situation as an elected member.  
If they are so afraid of the end of democracy, impeach him.  If you don’t like the vice-president, impeach him.  If you don’t like the majority leader (which I assume is the next in line), then impeach him.  There are checks and balances set in place if the civilians don’t like their elected leaders.  This is democracy.  Using the system to remove those who are either abusing their power or not acting in the way that they were expected to.  If you don’t want to use those methods, then by all means, start a violent revolution, in which case democracy will die.  It’s simple as that.

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NickYeh  As to address your point of view, I have a few of my own I like to share. 
While I do respect your opinions, here are some points I think that weakens your argument. You stated that it was sometimes necessary for the government not to be transparent and you cited the US as an example for a democratic government that “hides” documents from their citizens. I’m sure you have studied the Vietnam war and the protests within all of the groups in the US protesting against the government for that lack of transparency to the citizens. Also, I think you have read about Edward Snowden do I think your point of view will be that yes, Snowden should be punished because he is releasing confidential documents of the government. Even if you do acknowledge the fact that the “lack of transparency” is necessary, that does not mean that the government is doing the right thing, especially when Taiwan claims to be a democratic government. Okay, even if we do assume that transparency hinders and “increase the bureaucratic process in which the government is already flooded with”, that does not mean that the government should undermine the opinions of the public since it is too troublesome to go through all of the paperwork and bureaucracy. You are basically suggesting that the government knows exactly what they are doing and completely disrespects the voices of the citizens that elected these representatives on the first place. In an authoritarian government, that system totally works. Which is why sometimes it’s easier to get things done in an authoritarian government than in a democracy because an authoritarian government does not need to consult EVERYONE for their opinions before deciding. The reason the students are protesting right now are protesting against this authoritarian way that Ma’s administration is acting. He completely undermines the voices of the people and carry out an act despite 9% approval. The students want transparency so that everyone can participate and voice their concerns about the problem. I see you site the potential economic gains as an advantage of passing the act, but that does not mean everyone wants the economic gains. You see, everyone pursue different things in life. Some wants money, fame, while others just want to be content and satisfy themselves intellectually or through pursuing the arts. So since this act determines the fate of the Taiwanese majority, why not let them all voice out what they want instead of deciding that everyone wants money? I agree that some people do blindly follow fads but that is why there are so many professors offering classes outside of the legislative yuan right now to allow people to understand the complexities of the situation. Why don’t you go sit in one of these courses before telling me what you think? It just seems to me that you are not fully comprehending the situation. You have only talked to your father and some other people. Why don’t you go talk to the college professors and some other student leaders who know exactly what they are doing? Talk to everyone you know and other people with different economic backgrounds. Go talk to the owner of the sausage shop who is distributing free sausages to the students.  Why is he sacrificing his gains for these students? I also agree that people with different opinions should not be attacked. That is the beauty of “freedom of speech” that you and I both want. But when the government is already undermining the freedom of speech of the students and other voices, do you think that freedom of speech will last in Taiwan since the government is already deciding for the people? I agree that you should not just go to the protests with the mindset of opposition. Instead, i think everyone should go with an open mind, read both arguments, and decide for themselves. I am just addressing the fact that a lot of the students fear that this will be the end of democracy and that is why they are protesting right now.

Trillium Chang  She said IB Chinese, not IB History.

You are completely misunderstanding the issue. 
A) The protests are not about the treaty itself but the lack of transparency and due process. If it was about the treaty solely, protests would have started in 2009 when it was first introduced. 
B) This piece completely neglects the violence from the other side. Why is there no mention of police brutality to the peaceful protestors?
C) Not all of the protestors are militant. In fact, the majority of the students only “occupied”.
D) I ask you, what is the purpose of education if not to prevent other entities from violating our rights? What is the purpose of education if not to think rationally and critically? Just because these students chose not to go to school for a few days, in pursuit of what they believe is their fundamental rights, does not in no way mean they do not value their education. 
E) It’s annexation not absorption. You are not an amoeba.  Your IB/AP History teacher would be appalled.

Student protests have countless historical precedence that have been internationally accepted as politically justified. The fact that some students are participating out of boredom does not undermine the valid concern of disadvantageous or corrupt policies (though it would legitimize your claims if you had sources to back up your assertions). Either way, in my opinion, it is the responsibility of the government to educate its constituents and maintain transparency. This is something the incumbent legislature has failed to do, which could justify the protest in and of itself. Even though China is unlikely to forcibly annex Taiwan, the people obviously have the right to protest potentially unfavorable economic policies that are passed under less than transparent political processes. Also, the support of NTU professors and the level in which the students care about education is completely irrelevant to the issue on hand. As for the rule of law, vandalism as an act of civil disobedience has to be examined from a completely different light than recreational vandalism. I am not condoning their actions but wanted to point out the flaw in your line of reasoning. All in all, I am not disagreeing with your opinion that the protests are unreasonable, I just don’t think you supported your ideas in a coherent and logical manner. Disclaimer: I am neither for nor against the protests, though I do believe the protestors have a right to be there.

Hi Madeline,
You say that, “the crowd’s ignorant actions are immediately affecting the stock market and Taiwan’s international reputation”. I am not trying to deny negative effects of the protests, but where are the statistics and where are the quotes? If you could provide concrete examples of the protest damaging Taiwan’s reputation, I would be much more convinced. On the other hand, there are videos and photos spreading across the internet of foreigners all around the world voicing support for the protesters. This shows that people around the world admire the students’ courage to challenge a government that disrespects their country’s democracy. What do you make of this? If there’s any bad reputation of Taiwan, it would be of the government and not the people. The whole point of spreading the news in Taiwan on social media outlets is to show people what the government is doing wrong. Giving the government bad international reputation is a GOOD thing because when the world is watching, they have to break their bad habits.
Next, you claim that “Without having proper knowledge of CSSTA, some students just jumped on the bandwagon out of boredom.” Again, you don’t have any evidence of students joining out of boredom. Do you think people enjoy locking themselves up in a meeting hall without air conditioning for hours, or sitting outside in the rain, just because they’re bored? Even if it’s true, you’re missing the point. There are many other students that understand the dangers of CSSTA and genuinely care for the country’s future, and those are the ones that you should be paying attention to. In addition, the main issue is that majority of the people in Taiwan do NOT have “proper knowledge” of the CSSTA. Hence, it is irresponsible of the government to rush the trade pact undemocratically without making its details clear to the country, which is the main goal of the protest.
“What does this say about students sincerely interested in their education?” If you have seen photographs of students studying inside the Legislative Yuan, you would understand that they care both about their education and about their country’s future. Plus, there were public lectures held outside for the public to attend, maintaining an educational value in the protests. Just as one cannot give up food and water, the students realize that they can temporarily put their educations on hold while they prioritize fighting for their rights and futures.
“Vandalism of a national historical monument is a crime. Therefore, the students are criminals, and should suffer consequences.” Yes, you are correct, but I am appalled that you are more concerned about historical monuments than you are about the government’s violation of democratic processes.
“Most of us are not knowledgeable enough to have informed opinions for or against the CSSTA; we do not know enough about economics or of politics to draw conclusions about the future of our beloved country.” You can’t argue for intentional ignorance. If you truly care about the future of your “beloved country” then you would read up about and study the details involved with the CSSTA, and that is what many of the students have done. Many of these people are conscious of the consequences of hastily passing a major trade pact with China without going through due processes. Don’t insult the intelligence of the students who are capable of forming their own thoughts (and not just jumping on the bandwagon), just because you choose to not learn about contemporary issues.
“Just because China wants to get Taiwan back, doesn’t mean it can.” Same goes for the opposite; just because Taiwan doesn’t want China to absorb it, it doesn’t mean that China can’t.
“Let our generation be defined not by our youth and craze, but by our intelligence.” I’m guessing you haven’t been watching the news, because I’m convinced that you are not aware that the students are not the only ones involved in the protest. Doctors, lawyers, and professors have voiced their support and joined the movement. Even the students’ parents are cheering them on. Are you saying that doctors, lawyers, and professors are driven by “youth and craze” and not intelligent?

Don’t use education level to back up all your arguments. You’re only a high school student. The protest was led by Taiwanese elite college students so you’re at a disadvantage. You are still young and there are many things to learn in life. Please keep that in mind because these are the wise words from a current college junior and tas alumni.

As a TAS alum, I am hurt to see that a fellow TAS student have failed to understand the multifaceted nature of the situation. Instead of thinking the protest as a “trend”, why don’t you study up and understand why democracy is so important for these protesters? I have personally grown up in Taiwan and both of my parents have fought for the democracy you have taken for granted. For the past 100 years, Taiwan has always been an authoritarian society (Japanese occupation and White Terror). It is only till the 90s when Taiwan has become democratic. So many people has fought for democracy and will continuously defend it because it has been a difficult journey. Yes there are students who join the bandwagon simply because it’s popular. There are also students who are there trying to demand an answer from the government. That reason itself cannot be the sole reason for you not to join the protest. Instead, as an IB student, you should study up and understand BOTH sides of the argument before deciding whether to join the protest. Do understand that the government cheated the democratic system in the first place, which is why the students are outside rallying outside. They are demanding the government to revoke the act and give everyone a free platform to choose whether they support CSSTA or not. If the students are not there right now, the government will have passed an act without consulting the people first. The issue is not as simple as you make it to be. As for your argument on the economy, you do realize that the source you’re relying on is the Taiwanese media, right? They are (as you should know) invested by Chinese firms. The economy can also be a result of a long term international trend instead of this incident. Correlation does not imply causation. You should really study up on the issue because it will directly impact the politics of Taiwan in the future, and especially your generation when you enter the workforce in 10 years.