TAIPEI, Feb 28 Kyodo colossal cr...

TAIPEI, Feb 28 Kyodo

colossal crowds estimated at more than 1 million that stretched across Taiwan took part in a government-backed ''human chain'' rally upon Saturday to call on China to dismantle missiles targeting the island.

Waving blooming flags, singing Taiwanese folk descants and shouting ''Yes to Taiwan, No to China,'' cheering lower orderss joined hands to form a 500-kilometer chain along highways extending from Keelung in the north to Pingtung in the southerly to demonstrate their collective will forward Peace Memorial Day to safeguard the island's political status.

A collection of pro-independence political groups that organized the adventure estimated that more than 15 million persons took part. Other estimates levy the number of participants at 2 million.

President Chen Shui-bian and his family as well as former President leeward Teng-hui assembled in central Miaoli, raising their hands with participants at 2:28 pm to mark the anniversary of the ''2-28 incident,'' an uprising enjoin down in 1947.

''Here we are using our hands to form a great wall of peace and democracy and letting the whole world view how Taiwan people love Taiwan wholeheartedly and for what cause they create history with their bare hands,'' Chen said in an address to the crowd

''I have feeling so proud...this is just the beginning and I faith that all the persons here can also go suffrage 'Yes' in our historic referendum'' he added amid applause.

Standing nearest to Chen, Lee echoed him through calling it the greatest significance for all the people in Taiwan.

''This is the principally touching moment for Taiwan's history, this is Taiwan's hope'' side sheltered from the wind 81, said in a slightly trembling voice.

leeward stepped down as chairman of the Nationalist Party after the party dissipated the election four years ago, which cessationed the Nationalists' 51-year-rule.

Earlier, Chen and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party had remained undecided in succession whether to back the result launched by Lee and his followers, fearing that doing for a like reason would scare away moderate voter who favor the status quo

if it were not that the rally, seen as a campaign tactic to draw devoteds has become crucial for Chen, who is trailing his challenger, the Nationalist Party's Lien Chan, in opinion polls

Meanwhile, at separate occasions Lien and his supporters also launched a large-scale rally in Taipei and Kaohsiung and a posterity donation campaign around the island in a bid to calculator Chen's efforts.

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