Taiwan Protesters Rally to Mark Sunflower Anniversary

Taiwanese rallied Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the student-led "Sunflower Movement", which saw the occupation of parliament for more than three weeks in protest at a trade pact with China.

Hundreds of protesters, mostly students, gathered outside parliament for the anniversary, demanding that the China-friendly Kuomintang government refrain from signing any agreements with Beijing before next year's presidential election.

Police put the number at around 800, about an hour after the rally began in central Taipei.

Earlier in the day hundreds marched around parliament urging the government to give voters a greater say on controversial issues.

Fears of increased Chinese influence are growing following a thaw in relations under current Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou.

China and Taiwan split in 1949 after a civil war, but Beijing still considers the self-ruled island part of its territory awaiting reunification. It has not ruled out using force should Taipei declare independence.

Lai Chung-chiang, a spokesman for the organizers of the evening rally, called for the passage of a law by year-end to prevent the government from signing any agreement with China before the presidential election in January 2016, in which Ma cannot stand again.

"Such a law is aimed at preventing Ma from selling out Taiwan's interests to China," he told the crowd.

Such fears were also evident earlier in the day when prominent "Sunflower Movement" leaders, wearing T-shirts reading "The people are the masters", marched around the parliament perimeter.

The sunflower symbolizes a desire to bring issues to light.

"The Ma government not only wants to push for service and cargo trade pacts, but also political talks and a peace accord," said Chen Wei-ting, a leading student activist.

The services trade pact which sparked last year's occupation of parliament is on hold pending an oversight bill -- a key demand of protesters to guard against secret deals.

Activists had complained the controversial pact was agreed in secret and would leave the island vulnerable to Chinese influence.

It was among a string of agreements signed with China since Ma came to power in 2008.

While the thaw in ties has boosted trade and tourism, concerns that Chinese is acquiring too much sway have led to a public backlash.

Ma's Kuomintang party suffered a heavy defeat in local polls in November.

Activists are now focusing on changing the island's referendum law so that controversial major issues can more easily be put to a public vote.

"We want to tell the government that the people are the masters of Taiwan," said Chen Pei-yi, who also took part in last year's protests.

"The people should make the final decisions on major issues."