An opposition party legislator has castigated the government and the Ministry of National Defense over what he called devious dealings as they try to avoid confrontation with China on contentious political issues arising from planned World War II commemoration events.
At events over the past few days, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that the government and the ministry are organizing a series of events to mark the 70-year anniversary of World War II and that preparations are already under way.
However, neither the government nor the military announced a date and location for the main military parade, with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) releasing a press statement on Monday saying that the big military event has been set for early July to take place at an army base area in the hills of Hukou Township (湖口), Hsinchu County.
Lin said the ministry will stage a “show of military force capability,” comprising several events lasting more than one hour, at an army drill ground in Hukou.
It will include displays by fighter jets, marching drills by units of the armed forces, skills training programs and the presentation of weapons and armored vehicles, the statement said.
However, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) was critical of the ministry, saying that it was “hiding its agenda” and not taking the lead to announce the event, with the news coming from a KMT legislator instead.
“Government and military officials have been evasive over the details of this event,” Tsai said. “They are calling it a show of military force, but in reality, it is a military parade. Officials are not calling it military parade because they want to avoid confronting China on the issue of which side won World War II and has the right to speak as victors.”
“The ministry should inform the public on the nature and aims of holding a military parade, how many weapons, fighter jets, artillery guns and vehicles will be used,” Tsai said. “However, the military did not do so, but permitted a KMT legislator to announce it through a press statement. It is like the ministry is hiding something and wants to obfuscate the matter.”
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