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Letter: The myth of restoration

Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has made several mistakes in saying: "Chiang [Kai-shek, 蔣介石] made a great contribution in restoring, defending and developing Taiwan" ("Thousands protest anti-Chiang campaign," April 1, page 3).

Taiwan was not "restored" but changed status at the end of World War II. Chinese Nationalist forces under Chiang contributed nothing to this change of status.

It was the two US atomic bombs dropped in Japan that really changed the status of Taiwan.

A change can be for the better or worse.

Unfortunately, this change in status made Taiwanese suffer from the longest period of martial law in the history of the world. The so-called "free China" under Chiang's dictatorship was neither free nor China.

No wonder some older people in Taiwan miss Japanese rule.

Chiang intended to use Taiwanese soldiers and his remaining armed forces to "reclaim the mainland." It was the US that stopped his impossible plan.

At that time, Taiwan was defended from possible Chinese attack by the US Seventh Fleet that patrolled in the Taiwan Strait.

Chiang's insistence that "The Han and the thief are incompatible" and his refusal to accept a US proposal to seat Taiwan in its General Assembly concurrent with China have haunted Taiwan ever since.

Chiang's anti-communist attitude was strong, but this attitude was not inherited by his followers. Instead, they boycott the purchase of weapons that would defend Taiwan.

And Ma wants to betray Taiwanese through "ultimate unification."

Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
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