TSU sets its sights on a new target: Soong's mother

By Debby Wu
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Jun 30, 2004, Page 3

A police officer stands outside the home of James Soong's mother as the media gathers to listen to a press conference called by the TSU. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

People First Party Chairman James Soong's (宋楚瑜) mother has been occupying a government housing unit illegally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said yesterday, while the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that no law was being broken.

Soong's father, Lieutenant-General Soong Ta (宋達), was assigned to a government housing unit in 1964, and he passed away in 1975.

Soong's mother, Hu Yao-jung (胡窈容) then continued to live in the unit, which she still occupies. The house takes up about 120 ping on Chienkuo S. Road in Taipei City.

TSU caucus whip Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) brought the media to the front of the unit yesterday, and said that according to the Act for Handling the Army's Family Affairs (國軍軍眷業務處理辦法), which was abolished in 2002, a government housing unit assigned to a military officer had to be returned to the government after the official passed away, unless the official's parents or underage children were still living in the unit at the time.

Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Chen Chien-ming yesterday brings the media to the house of PFP Chairman James Soong's mother in Taipei, accusing her of illegally occupying government housing for years. The accusation was quickly denied by the Ministry of National Defense, which controls the housing. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

"The act has been abolished, but Soong's unit should have been dealt with by the act long before the act was abolished. The Soong children became adults long ago, and there was no reason for Hu's continuous occupation," Chen said.

LEGAL RESIDENCE

The MND's deputy director of the Army Family Affairs Bureau, Lai Wen-chen (賴文鎮), was also present, and said that Hu was residing in the unit legally.

"After General Soong passed away, his wife Hu Yao-jung completed the necessary procedures -- as regulated in the Statue for the Reconstruction of the Weathered Army Communities (國軍老舊眷村改建條例) -- to continue her residence in the unit legally," Lai said.

The ministry also issued a statement saying that Hu had agreed to move from the unit to a new unit on Chienkang Road (健康路), once the construction of the Chienkang New Community (健康新村) is complete.

However, Chen responded by saying the statute was only passed in 1996, and Soong's case should have been dealt with long ago in accordance with the act, instead of the statute, since General Soong passed away in 1975.

Chen also said that Soong's case was not unique, and the the MND currently has six outstanding lawsuits on similar cases involving military officers' families.

MUDSLINGING

People First Party spokesman Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) expressed anger over Chen's accusations, saying that as the MND had declared Soong's residence to be legal, Chen's attempt at mudslinging was intolerable.

"Chairman Soong will take legal action against Chen when necessary," Hwang said.

Soong is currently traveling in Europe and will return next month.