Chiangs' burials to go ahead on schedule: ministry

The burial of late president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and his son Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) is expected to take place in March or April next year as scheduled, even though construction of their burial plots has been delayed by bad weather, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said yesterday.

Although construction of the Chiangs' tombs, located at the Wutzushan (五指山) military cemetery in Hsichih (汐止), Taipei County, has been interrupted by torrential rain and thick fog, the project will be completed in accordance with the terms of the contract, the MND Allied Logistics Command said.

The command confirmed a statement from the Bureau of Armaments and Acquisition -- the builder of the tombs -- that construction began in early March this year and will be ready as scheduled, without any compromises in the quality and design of the structure.

According to the command, the affairs regarding the relocation of the two Chiangs -- from their interim mausoleums in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan -- to the cemetery for permanent interment will be taken care of by the Ministry of the Interior, in line with the State Funeral Law.

As to the management of the tombs, this will be transferred from the MND to the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen under the Executive Yuan.

Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing China to the Mao Zedong (毛澤東)-led communist party in a bloody civil war. He died in 1975 and his remains were embalmed in a temporary mausoleum at Tzuhu (慈湖) in Taoyuan, awaiting proper burial in China.

Chiang Ching-kuo, who died in 1988 also lies embalmed in a seperate mausoleum, at Touliao (頭寮) in Taoyuan.