A political controversy about the upcoming Double Ten National Day celebrations continued yesterday, with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) announcing an alternate event to counter what it called an “evil force” that is attempting to remove the Republic of China (ROC) from this year’s celebrations.
Contrary to past National Day celebrations that were embellished with the ROC flag and title, the vital symbols are missing from this year’s celebration of the ROC’s founding, said Hu Chu-sheng (胡筑生), former secretary-general of the KMT’s Huang Fu-hsing special military veterans’ branch.
“Instead, what we are hearing are chants of Taiwanese independence... We hope to channel all the positive forces of society through our planned event to keep this evil at bay,” Hu told a news conference in Taipei.
Photo: CNA
Former minister of national defense Wu Shih-wen (伍世文) said the purpose of the event is to cement public support for the ROC at a time when it is facing setbacks both domestically and internationally.
The event, titled “Love Your National Flag, Love Your Country,” is to be hosted by the KMT and 24 other local and overseas organizations and companies, the event’s organizers said.
It is scheduled to take place in front of the National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei on Tuesday next week.
The event is to feature the national anthem, tributes to ROC founder Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) and remarks by KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明).
It is the second time the pan-blue camp is holding a separate National Day celebration out of concern that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration is gradually removing the ROC national symbols and instilling a Taiwan-centric mindset in the public.
The KMT said the absence of the ROC flag and title from the government’s design and invitations for this year’s celebrations was proof of its “de-ROC-ization” effort.
Earlier yesterday, the KMT warned the DPP-administered Taichung City Government of the consequences of not incorporating elements of the ROC into the National Day party it is hosting this year.
KMT Taichung City Council caucus whip Lee Chung (李中) said there are no national flags along the city’s streets and preparations for the party bear no signs that it is meant for the ROC’s 106th anniversary.
“The KMT caucus will give the city government a hard time over its budget reimbursement for the party if we do not see a single national flag flying on the day of the event,” Lee said.
The DPP administration has planned a series of events for National Day, including a party at Taichung’s National Taiwan University of Sport on Monday evening next week, as well as a morning ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, a noon parade in the capital and a fireworks show at Taitung’s Forest Park on the following day.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to host an evening banquet for about 4,000 foreign dignitaries at the Taipei Guest House on Tuesday next week.
Ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said that five of the nation’s 20 diplomatic allies — Tuvalu, Honduras, Paraguay, Saint Lucia and Swaziland — would send high-level officials to the banquet.
Lee said attendees from the nation’s non-diplomatic allies would be disclosed once they are confirmed.
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