Connery to join Taiwan protest against China

Actor Sean Connery will participate in a planned 190-mile human chain next week in Taiwan to protest China’s missile threat against the island, newspapers reported today.

The human chain, part of an event called, “Hand in Hand to Protect Taiwan”, will stretch from the island’s northern coast to its southern tip on February 28, in a show of unity against China for aiming hundreds of missiles at the territory, the Liberty Times quoted organisers as saying.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 amid a bloody civil war, and Beijing has been pressuring the democratic island to stop resisting its rule and unify.

The human chain comes ahead of the March 20 presidential elections and is being organised by supporters of President Chen Shui-bian, who leads a party that has angered China by campaigning for formal independence for Taiwan.

Sir Sean, 73, will link hands with Chen in front of the Presidential Office building in Taipei, the mass-circulation China Times daily said.

The actor is expected to announce his participation in the event at a news conference in Tokyo on February 26.

The March presidential elections will coincide with a referendum on whether Taiwan should beef up anti-missile defences if China refuses to withdraw nearly 500 missiles pointed at it.

Beijing fears that the vote might set a precedent for a referendum on the touchy unification issue – a move Chinese leaders have warned would spark a war.

Chen and Sir Sean met in Panama last November at celebrations for that country’s 100th independence anniversary.

Organisers had invited another Hollywood star, Tibet independence supporter Richard Gere, to take part in the human chain, the China Times said, but the actor could not attend because of earlier commitments.