Last week, Thai army Commander-General Sonthi Boonyaratglin ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup, promising to resign as junta leader in two weeks and to restore democracy in a year's time. However, earlier this year he said that military coups were "a thing of the past" and that political problems should be solved by politicians.
In contrast with the Thai situation, we are proud of Taiwan's democracy, as we have experienced relatively few incidents of political turmoil. Except for government servants, who commit themselves to serving the country and therefore must stay neutral, people in Taiwan have the right to express themselves freely.
When interviewed by the media, our Army Commander-in-Chief General Hu Chen-pu (胡鎮埔) said that a military coup has never been carried out in Taiwan, and never would be. The Ministry of National Defense has also reiterated that military personnel are prohibited from becoming involved in political activities in order to maintain both political and administrative neutrality.
As we have seen in many countries around the world, warlords who overthrow their government end up causing trouble for their country. Although the democracy in Taiwan is not yet full-fledged, the military, which plays a stabilizing role in society and is always loyal to the nation, deserves credit.
Dai Kaifeng
Taichung
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