｜ they had to go through the side door. Lee Chen-yuan insisted on going through the front gate. After some back-and-forth coordination by DPP legislators, the guards finally unlocked the front gate. But after Lee Chen-yuan and Lin Shan-tien entered the conference room, officials were unable to find the petition the alliance submitted 3 days ago, forcing their members to wait idly. Then KMT Legislator and Chairman of the Judiciary and Organic Laws Committee Lee Tsung-jen showed up, only to say that since a new chairman would be elected by the end of the month and that he was leaving office soon, he could listen to their ideas but not do much else. Lee Tsung-jen’s attitude displeased Lee Chen-yuan and Lin Shan-tien, and they parted on bad terms. However, all their failed petitioning efforts received widespread media coverage. The high level of attention only boosted the 100 Action Alliance’s momentum. Finally, Secretary General Chiang Yan-shih of the Office of the President contacted them under orders from President Lee Teng-hui, inviting members of the alliance to meet with him. Lee Teng-hui Expresses Concern, the Alliance Demands a Public Debate On the afternoon of the 28th, a week after the alliance was founded, Chiang Yan-shih told Chen Shihmeng and Lin Shan-tien that, regarding concerns about Article 100 of the Criminal Code, the KMT was willing to establish a cross-party Criminal Code Article 100 Amendment Taskforce outside of the KMT’s Policy Assembly, but the 100 Action Alliance would have to cease its anti-military parade plan in return. Nonetheless, Chen Shih-meng and Lin Shan-tien immediately responded that the issue should be debated publicly on television. Chiang Yan-shih said that he could not make this decision on his own and could only report their demands to his superiors. On the night of the 28th, the alliance held its sec- 102 ond meeting, naming Chen Shih-meng, Lin FerngChing, Liao I-en, Rev. Luo Wen-kuang of the Presbyterian Church, Chien Hsi-chieh, Liao Pin-liang, Master Wang Hsiu-lien of the Ten Thousand Buddha Association, Chung Chia-pin, and Luo Wen-chia as the decision-making team for the coalition’s second phase “active attack”, with Lin Ferng-Ching as director-general of the group. The anti-military parade movement was gradually taking a clearer and more concrete shape. On the 29th, Lee Teng-hui hosted well-respected native-born activists at the Official Residence of the President, sending the message that the government was willing to form a cross-party Criminal Code Article 100 Amendment Task Force in hopes of deescalating the anti-military parade movement. At noon on the 30th, top officials of the KMT officially invited the 100 Action Alliance to negotiate. The KMT representatives included KMT Central Party Policy Assembly Director Lin Tung, Policy Assembly Vice Director Hung Yu-Chin, Vice Premier Shih Chi-yang, Executive Yuan Secretary General Wang Chao-ming, and Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Ma Ying-jeou. On the alliance’s side were Lee Chen-yuan, Honorary Professor Tsai Tun-ming of NTU’s College of Law, Lin Shan-tien, Chen Shih-meng, Chang Chungtung, and John C. Chen. Both sides sent out their best to negotiate at the Lai Lai Shangri-La Hotel (now the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel). Lin Shan-tien, who was in charge of basic criminal law theory, argued that in the formation of criminal laws in civilized countries, the most important factor was the principle of legality, of which “clear legal elements” are crucial. Because the Criminal Code can deprive criminals of their lives and personal freedoms, if it is not formulated clearly, it will give those in power the ability to interpret the law with too much flexibility, resulting in severely subjective judgments. This way, argued Lin Shan-tien, the law becomes Chapter 3 ｜ Protest: The Crucial 20 Days DPP legislators with 100 Action Alliance headbands demanding the abolishment of Article 100 of the Criminal Code at the Legislative Yuan. They were ignored by Premier Hau Pei-tsun (pictured at the top left with his head bowed) on the podium. Photographer: Hsu Po-hsin very “useful” for those in power, but runs counter to the protection of human rights. Article 100 of the Criminal Code had undefined legal elements like the “intent to overthrow the government” and “get involved in actions”. Lin Shan-tien explained that so-called “intent” concerns inner thought, and the law provided no explanation of what such “actions” consisted of. Therefore, the law became an excellent tool for those in power to wield flexibly. However, KMT representatives Shih Chi-yang and Ma Ying-jeou insisted that there was no problem with the provisions of Article 100 of the Criminal Code, nor any issues with its practical operation. They both repeatedly stressed that Taiwan’s democracy was still very fragile, and that excessive reforms may lead to anarchy or chaos. Shih and Ma took a tough stance, refusing to budge even an inch. 103