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NSC blasts false report on drill

Taipei window cleaners working on a high-rise building continue to perform their job while the city lies quiet during the 30th Wan-an military drill, which was conducted between 2pm and 2:30pm yesterday. PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

The National Security Council expressed regret over allegations that the military exercise conducted yesterday was an election scheme aimed at hinting that the country would plunge into chaos if the pan-blue camp were to lose next year's presidential election.

"We regret such a report was made, which is fictional and has no basis in truth," a statement released by the council yesterday morning said. "The scenario used in the drill contains no political undertones and isn't related to the presidential election."

The statement was made in response to a report published in yesterday's Chinese-language China Times, which claimed that the simulation, codenamed Yushan (玉山), was based on a "political scenario" wherein former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) loses next year's presidential election by a razor thin margin, prompting red-clad protestors led by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德) to take to the streets and causing unrest.

The report said the demonstrators -- whose actions were not the result of collaboration with Beijing -- would then surround the Presidential Office. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the newly elected president and vice president would be put on an assassination list and war in the Taiwan Strait would be imminent.

Dismissing the report as "ridiculous," the statement said the scenario consisted of a surprise attack by China after suffering a dramatic political and economic change as well as disputed over natural resources with regional countries.

The statement described the report as "politically oriented," "groundless" and "fictional," criticizing TV stations citing the report for blindly following the baseless story and urged the media to exercise self-discipline and help maintain social safety and national security.

The council yesterday demanded that the China Times publish a correction to its report.

The exercise was presided over by Chen and attended by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and heads of government agencies.

Chen said it was not the sole responsibility of the armed forces or the Ministry of National Defense to ensure national security and the functioning of government but the remit of all government agencies.

Chen emphasized the importance of constant drills, saying they helped to identify problems and resolve them.

"Only full preparation can prevent unnecessary loss and damage when we are at war," he said.

Despite the council's statement, KMT legislative caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) yesterday called the drill a strategy used by the DPP to win support in next year's presidential election.

"[By holding the drill], the DPP government was hoping to create the impression that only a DPP victory in next year's election would ensure that the country will not fall into chaos," she said.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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