I agree with your editorial ("Partisanship in the military," Dec. 1, page 8) that the participation of a military instructor, Major Tung Hwa-cheng, (
To begin with, you mentioned that the military is still overloaded with a "bloated" General Political Warfare Department, and that the department is of "questionable military utility" in a democratic state.
Based on the the Ministry of National Defense's Organization Act, which was amended on Feb. 6, 2002, the General Political Warfare Bureau falls under the scope of the ministry and is responsible for political warfare-related affairs. As stipulated by law, the General Political Warfare Bureau shall be restructured as the Political Warfare Bureau within three years, or four if necessary. The bureau is therefore by no means of "questionable military utility."
In addition, political warfare officers are now dedicated to mental counseling, enlisted welfare, cultural affairs, psychological operations (PSYOP), community relations and public affairs. In particular, the PSYOP division of the ministry plays a significant role in countering China's "three warfares" -- psychological, opinion and legal.
Last, but not least, the military has performed admirably and loyally supported the nation's legal processes and democratic system.
In accordance with the National Defense Act (
Modern political warfare is not the way it used to be, and the bureau is not "a Stalinist throwback to the days when the KMT was concerned with maintaining a firm grip on the military." The army will always be the guardian of the nation.
Dai Kaifeng
Taichung
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