A group of young independence supporters yesterday hurled red paint on the sarcophagus of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) in a step-up from past displays calling for an end to continued worship of him.
About 20 people entered the hall containing Chiang’s sarcophagus at his mausoleum in Taoyuan’s Dasi District (大溪) at about 10am and tossed red paint — which they said was to symbolize his victims’ blood — over his sarcophagus and portrait.
They also held up a banner reading “Ousting the Chinese regime, establishing a Republic of Taiwan,” referring to the Chiang-led Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime that retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War.
Online screen grab
The protesters, believed to be from the pro-independence group From Ethnos to Nation, later issued a statement calling for the closure of the mausoleums of Chiang and his son, former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), as well as a stop to the practice of using authoritarian legacies for tourism.
“Late last year, the [Democratic Progressive Party] passed the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例), raising hopes that the government would swiftly embark on a mission to remove all authoritarian symbols and preserve historical sites of injustice,” the statement said.
However, the government has focused on the KMT and its affiliates’ illegitimately obtained assets and the publication of archives, the statement said, adding that its passiveness has allowed the Chiangs’ spirits to continue wandering in the free and democratic nation.
Singling out the Taoyuan City Government’s online tourism guide for Chiang Kai-shek’s mausoleum — which it describes as a “sacred ground where people from around the world reminisce about a great man” — the statement quoted Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) as saying that transitional justice should not be limited to eliminating symbols of the Chiangs.
“Removing the Chiangs’ symbols is only a part of transitional justice, but the grand project can never be fulfilled if we avoid such removals and delay ‘landscape cleansing,’” it added.
The quoted sentence from the guide was removed later yesterday.
Expressing regret over the vandalism, the Ministry of National Defense’s Armed Forces Reserve Command — which manages the mausoleum — said it would increase patrols to prevent similar incidents.
As it was the first time Chiang Kai-shek’s sarcophagus has been targeted since his death in 1975, several KMT heavyweights also weighed in.
KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said the vandalism was regrettable, as Chiang Kai-shek had done more good than harm, such as leading his army to victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War and recovering Taiwan.
“The 228 Incident is also a regrettable tragedy that happened at a tumultuous time, and Chiang Kai-shek surely has to be held accountable, given his position as head of state at the time,” Wu said.
However, Wu added that past governments have already done their utmost to compensate victims of the White Terror, a period of suppression of political dissidents in Taiwan that began soon after the Incident in 1947 and lasted until the lifting of martial law in 1987.
In a statement released by his office, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that irrational acts would only sow hatred and are not conducive to facilitating dialogue and reconciliation.
“Acts that harm others and benefit no one should be stopped immediately,” it said.
Meanwhile, Cheng said in a news release that his administration was willing to revise tourism guides in line with the transitional justice act.
As for the protesters’ demand to close down the two mausoleums, Cheng said they are administered by the defense ministry and that he would respect its decision.
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS