The Ministry of National Defense said yesterday that reciting the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces Directives is part of the spiritual education of service members, but a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker dismissed the directives as a revival of the legacy of authoritarian rule.
After presiding over the joint commencement of 669 cadets from the five military academies in Fengshan, Kaohsiung County, earlier the same day, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) led the cadets in reciting the directives, which touch on discipline, loyalty and obedience.
The practice was suspended in 2003.
Yesterday was the first time Ma led service officers as commander-in-chief.
Ministry spokeswoman Lisa Chi (池玉蘭) said that at the suggestion of the ministry’s Political Warfare Department, Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) had approved the resumption of the practice.
Following Chen’s approval, the directives have been recited at major military events and monthly meetings since June 10, Chi said.
The directives are chanted based on ROC military protocol, with the aim of molding an officer’s character and fortifying his or her spirit, the spokeswoman said.
“After all, servicemen are different from civilians,” she said, adding that spiritual education must not be overlooked.
DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), however, described Ma’s action as “most inappropriate,” adding that the reading was a legacy of authoritarian rule.
Chai described the practice as a “dogmatic way of teaching during the authoritarian era.”
One passage in the directives’ preface — which is not recited as part of the 10 directives — illustrates just how out of date the directives have become, Chai said.
It reads: “We Chinese people, who have been building our country to today, have existed for 5,000 years, and a 400 million-strong peaceful and outstanding people has converged on a land of more than 11 million square kilometers.”
The words were spoken by dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) in 1936, Chai said, arguing that it was anachronistic to recite directives that were laid out 72 years ago.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS