A video circulating on the Web showing former coast guard officers dancing in their office in a replication of the “Harlem Shake” viral Internet meme has stirred controversy, with netizens accusing the officers of unprofessional conduct and evoking a stern response from the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).
Six men who formerly worked for Hualien County’s coast guard are shown shaking and swaying to music in the video from last year, performing gyrating dance moves and flailing their arms, imitating the “Harlem Shake” dance clip that was first filmed by five teenagers on the Sunshine Coast, Australia, in February last year and became a worldwide Internet trend.
Among the officers, two were wearing orange coast guard flap jackets and two were wearing standard on-duty navy-blue uniforms with gray or white shirts underneath.
In the video, one man in a navy blue uniform dances to the music while holding a rifle as a prop, with the barrel pointing in various directions throughout the sequence.
The handling of the rifle while gyrating to the music was criticized by many people, who said the officers broke the coast guard’s code of conduct.
Others said the video damaged the coast guard’s image, as the six officers were entertaining themselves while on duty.
Some netizens said it was absurd for the officers to be carousing in such a fashion while at work, while others said they were outraged to see the CGA officer playing with the rifle, which could have fired shots with fatal results.
People also said that the officers displayed improper conduct and showed a lack of discipline, by treating the office like a nightclub partying den.
Coast guard officials yesterday confirmed the members in the video were from Hualien County’s Coastal Patrol Corps 83.
Yu Shu-huai (余書懷), vice captain of the corps’ 77th mobile unit, said that more strict enforcement of discipline and conduct would be imposed.
“Such frolicking should not be condoned. We will hand out punishment through the convening of our disciplinary committee,” he said.
The coast guard also released a statement later yesterday to explain the video, saying it was taken sometime last year between April and August.
All individuals shown dancing in the office were performing their compulsory military service, it said, adding that all six had been discharged between September and November last year.
The statement said efforts would be stepped up on education, discipline and internal management to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
Additional reporting by Jenny Munro
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