Pro-independence groups yesterday called for the removal of the statue of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (
Removal of the statue would be the first step toward lifting the "spiritual martial law," the groups said at a demonstration in front of the memorial hall yesterday.
"Although martial law was lifted 20 years ago, it still exists in the minds of many Taiwanese," said Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), chairman of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Chiang's statues can still be found in many public places. We need to clean up all such public places before a complete removal of the spiritual martial law is possible," he said.
The memorial hall, formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, was completed in 1980 under the then Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime.
Although the memorial hall was renamed earlier this year, a giant bronze statue of Chiang still remains in the main lobby.
An official from the memorial hall's management office received the demonstrators and accepted a copy of the petition from the groups.
Tsay gave an example of how the "marital law mentality" still existed in Taiwan.
He said that many people they approached were reluctant to sign petitions, "because they fear something, even though nothing would happen to them. That's what I call a martial law mentality.'"
Two young demonstrators at the scene may have exhibited such "martial law mentality," Tsay said, as even though they both agreed to talk to the Taipei Times, they would not give their full names.
The two women, surnamed Lin and Huang, said they both supported the groups' demands and hoped the statue would be "torn down as soon as possible."
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS