Family members of Huang Wen-chung (黃文忠), who was killed on Friday last week when his fishing boat Hsiang Li Sheng (翔利昇) was struck by an anti-ship missile fired in error by a navy corvette, no longer demand a flag be draped over his casket, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Colonel Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said on Tuesday.
Chen said that following talks with navy officers, Huang’s widow had “rationally and sufficiently understood the regulations, and would let the government handle the situation according to the requirements of the law,” adding that the ministry had agreed to assist with Huang’s burial.
According to Article 4 of the Implementation and Regulations for Military Funeral Honors, excepting serving or former heads and deputy heads of state, only “those who had died in the line of duty or for a righteous social cause [and] those who had made special contributions in a professional capacity … whose deeds had been verified by responsible central government officials,” can receive a flag-draped burial.
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) had said that the Ministry of the Interior was the agency responsible for regulating the honor, and that a decision would be made after ministry experts consulted the regulations.
Ministry of the Interior Deputy Director of Civil Affairs Luo Rui-ching (羅瑞卿) said to have a funeral with military honors, a request with supporting evidence must be filed.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), who is on the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said that the government should follow regulations and that if burial with military honors was impossible, the government should “communicate with the family and commemorate captain [Huang] in some other way.”
Another committee member, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲), said that she agrees with giving Huang military honors because the armed forces were responsible for erroneously firing the missile and causing Huang’s death, adding that she “hopes that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the Ministry of National Defense would comply with the family’s demands.”
However, retired lieutenant general Wu Shih-huai (吳斯懷) and former deputy chief of the army said: “Draping a casket with the flag is a state honor and cannot be conferred at will. While breaking the rules is a trifling matter, causing dishonor to the flag is a grave matter. If anyone can ask for military honors, we humiliate our forebears who were buried with the flag.”
Former minister of defense spokesman Major General David Lo (羅紹和) said that it would be inappropriate to make an exception for Huang and that he disapproved of having the naval personnel held responsible for firing the missile kneeling in apology to the Huang family.
“A soldier kneels to Heaven and Earth, the nation, his parents and conscience alone, and should not take this lightly,” Lo said, adding: “My heart aches for the family of the diseased, but also for the loss of dignity by our soldiers.”
Additional reporting by Lo Tien-fu
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