Taipei, March 24 (CNA) The heads of Kaohsiung and Tainan special municipalities, both of which are governed by the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said Monday that they are unwilling to offer further backup police manpower to control riots happening in northern Taiwan.



After a riot the previous night at the Executive Yuan, Tainan Mayor Lai Ching-te said that no violence should be used against the students expressing their opinions about important national issues.



The head of the Kaohsiung City Information Bureau, Ting Yun-kung, said that the city government respects the protesters' appeals and is against Kaohsiung police donning riot gear.



One hundred and twenty officers sent from Kaohsiung and Tainan to Taipei were recalled the previous week.



The Kaohsiung city government said March 21 that they had negotiated with the National Police Agency to reduce the number of mobilized officers due to local security needs, and would bring back any further deployed officers immediately if riot-control instructions were issued.



Lai said Tainan would not send any backup police, saying that the National Police Agency already has enough officers to mobilize.



(By Wang Shwu-fen, Yang Sz-ruei and Aileen Chuang)

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(Click here for the latest on the ongoing protest and developments since the Legislature occupation starting March 18.)