A Kaohsiung animal welfare group yesterday said that a dog had been killed by members of the Republic of China (ROC) Marine Corps, who were shown hanging the dog with iron chains in a viral video.
The group called a press conference showing the video of a dog being hanged and struggling, while a few men who appear to be marines are heard making jokes about the dog while abusing it.
“Don’t be a stupid dog in the next life, Siaobei [小白, ‘Whitey’],” one was heard saying.
The video ended with people reciting a revised version of the motto of the ROC Marine Corps — “Be forever loyal, Siaobei. Do not be afraid of death.”
The dog’s corpse was allegedly thrown into the sea.
Kaohsiung Concern for Stray Animals Association director Wang Hsiao-hua (王小華) said the killing occurred on Friday last week, and an informant reported the incident to the association.
Wang and animal authorities went to the ROC Marine Corps base at Kaohsiung’s Sizihwan (西子灣) yesterday to confront the people involved in the killing.
Wang said they met a marine surnamed Chang (張) who admitted to the killing and said it was done after a junior-ranking officer surnamed Chen (陳) ordered them to make the dog disappear.
“Four marines caught the dog, and Chang and another soldier surnamed Hu (胡) tied the dog with iron chains and beat it with sticks before hanging it by the beach,” Wang said.
Wang said she and officers of the Kaohsiung City Animal Protection Office were turned away by navy officials when Chang admitted to the killing and was willing to give a statement to the abuse.
“The navy told us the killing was due to misbehavior by some individuals and that it would initiate an investigation itself. However, we believe that the navy acquiesced in the killing. We demand an open apology and ask the navy to release all dogs it keeps at the base,” she said.
A black dog kept at the base was also found dead, but Chang denied that he was responsible for its death, saying the black dog died of disease, Wang said.
ROC Marine Corps Political Warfare Division Director Su Shih-lin (蘇世霖) said the navy would send the soldiers involved to the animal protection office for questioning later yesterday, and the navy would take disciplinary action against the soldiers according to the Punishment Act of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍懲罰法), and that they would be punished for violating the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法).
Su said the navy turned Wang and animal protection officers away because they did not ask for permission to enter a military base, adding that the navy was totally willing to cooperate with their investigation.
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