Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday joined the newly established Taiwan Youth Anti-Communist Corps (台灣青年反共救國團).
“The establishment of the Taiwan Anti-Communist Youth Corps highlighted the fact that the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] owes Taiwanese an explanation for why it was anti-Communist before but is now leaning toward China to such a degree? Why such a turn-around? Where is Taiwan’s destiny under the KMT’s radical change?” Tsai asked, making a reference to the China Youth Anti-Communist Nation Salvation Corps (中國青年反共救國團) established by then-premier Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) on Oct. 31, 1952.
China Youth Anti-Communist Nation Salvation Corps upheld anti-communist doctrines and organized military training camps for high school, college and university students.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
It later changed its name to China Youth Nation Salvation Corps (中國青年救國團) on Oct. 31, 2000, and transformed itself into a private organization aimed at guiding youth in their growth and development.
Tsai said yesterday that when she was a college student, she had joined a hiking program sponsored by the China Youth Anti-Communist Nation Salvation Corps.
Political commentator Paul Lin (林保華), who established the new group, said its aim was to help Taiwanese uphold the nation’s sovereignty by gaining a clear understanding of China’s nature.
“It can be confusing for some to compare the China Youth Anti-Communist Nation Salvation Corps of fifty years ago to today’s Taiwan Youth Anti-Communist Corps,” said former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), who also attended yesterday.
“At the time, the KMT popularized slogans about ‘terminating the evil communists,’ but it now leans toward China,” Su said. “That confuses Taiwanese.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
Also See: An ironic group to fight the CCP
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit