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.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from