In its latest move against the government's anti-Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) campaign, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is set to stage a protest this afternoon on Ketagalan Boulevard, accusing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of erasing history.
The protest, titled "Love Taiwan, and defend the Republic of China," will begin at 1:30pm on Ketagalan Boulevard and traverse around CKS Memorial Hall before returning to the boulevard.
Video clips documenting life in the 1950s and 1960s and statues of Chiang Kai-shek being removed or damaged will be shown on a big screen, while KMT heavyweights including former KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) will give speeches at the rally, Director of the KMT's Culture and Communication Commission Yang Tu (楊渡) told a press conference yesterday.
"The government has pushed the anti-China and anti-Chiang Kai-shek campaigns for its own interests. We urge the silent masses to join us in saying no to the government's oppression and to strive for our own happiness and prosperity," acting KMT chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) said.
Saying that the country enjoyed prosperity during the 1950s and 1960s under the rule of Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo (
KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴), son of Chiang Ching-kuo, vowed to defend his family's legacy, and said he would sue Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) for tearing down a statue of Chiang Kai-shek.
"I urge all participants to wear blue to the rally and let the DPP know that they are wrong. If it doesn't adjust its policies, both the wonderful past and the future will both disappear," he said.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
ENHANCING DETERRENCE: Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and China’s coastal areas without any logistical difficulties Japan is to deploy extended-range anti-ship missiles at a Ground Self-Defense Force base in Kumamoto to bolster its defenses, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday. The upgraded Type 12 surface-to-ship missile, with a range of more than 1,000km, would be capable of striking targets in the Taiwan Strait and along China’s coast. Originally limited to a few hundred kilometers, the Type 12 was recently modernized ahead of schedule. Deployment, initially slated for next year, has been accelerated after the upgrade was completed sooner than expected, the newspaper said. Stationing the missiles in Kyushu would allow Japan to cover waters near Taiwan and
The presence of Taiwanese politicians at China’s military parade tomorrow would send the wrong message to Beijing and the international community about Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, a national security official said yesterday. China is to hold the parade tomorrow to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. By bringing together leaders of “anti-West” governments such as Russia, North Korea, Iran and Belarus, the parade aims to project a symbolic image of an alliance that is cohesive and unbending against Western countries, the national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu