Protesters including senior military veterans pushed down a gate to Taiwan’s parliament building Tuesday and clashed with police as they tried to storm in over pension cutbacks. One former colonel was in a critical condition in hospital after attempting to climb a wall and falling.
Scores of protesters pushed down a gate to the parliament compound in the capital, Taipei, as police tried to prevent them from breaking into the building.
Legislators passed a pension reform bill last June, cutting civil servants’ generous pension packages as the government warned it could no longer pay out on the high-interest deals.
A separate bill targeting military pensions is expected to be discussed in the current parliament session.
Retired General Wu Sz-huai fainted during the clashes while former Colonel Miao Te-sheng was seriously wounded.
The presidential office appealed to protesters to remain calm and said the government had taken account of veterans' concerns in drafting reforms.
The protest came as the parliament was expected to discuss a bill targeting military pensions on Tuesday.
Another bill cutting civil servants’ generous pension packages had already been passed by lawmakers last June.
The protesters urged the government to revoke the bill passed last year and to hold talks over the new military pension plan.
The government has warned that various pension funds could go bankrupt as early as 2020 if the system is not overhauled.
