Outside parliament, dozens of demonstrators, many of them Buddhist monks and nuns, braved chilly winds and staged a sit-in protest. -- PHOTO: AFP
TAIPEI - TAIWAN'S parliament on Monday voted through a controversial bill lifting a decades-old ban on casinos - despite protests that gambling could lead to a damaging decline in public morality.
The ruling Kuomintang, who dominate the legislature, pushed through the law allowing the offshore islands to build casinos only if they are approved by residents in referenda.
President Ma Ying-jeou, who took office in May, must sign the bill before it takes effect.
Outside parliament, dozens of demonstrators, many of them Buddhist monks and nuns, braved chilly winds and staged a sit-in protest.
'The bill is sure to pollute the people's minds,' a protester said.
The Kuomintang government said the move would help the poor offshore islands by attracting tourists. -- AFP
