The divisive character of Taiwanese politics has reached extreme levels by any standard. People with a wide variety of political views seem unable to interpret any occurrence through a lens that is not colored by their partisan outlook.
But when that partisanship begins to undermine the foundations of the political system and destabilize important government institutions, people -- especially national leaders -- must take a step back before they carry Taiwan over the edge.
For this reason, the Ministry of National Defense deserves praise for its swift, vigorous response to an incident in which a serving military officer abused the trust of his office and participated in an overtly political act in uniform.
Major Tung Hwa-cheng (
At the protest, Tung wore his uniform, although he hid his face behind a mask and sunglasses. He also agitated the crowd by displaying a copy of a letter he had sent to Minister of National Defense Lee Jye (
For a military officer to call for the murder of an elected official, even indirectly, is criminal, and Tung will likely spend years in prison for doing so.
This is not merely a matter of propriety. The purpose of a uniform is to act as a symbol. Symbols are important and serve the practical function of establishing an individual as acting in an official capacity.
In a democracy, this means that an official uniform represents the trust of the public and that the person wearing it has been empowered by society to carry out its wishes. An individual is therefore not entitled to masquerade as though he were acting in an official function when he is engaging in a personal activity.
That is the reasoning behind the regulation preventing service members from taking part in political activities under the auspices of their military office.
More directly, Taiwan has had to struggle to turn the military, which was created as part of the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) authoritarian apparatus, into a truly "nationalized" force responsible for the protection of the society.
Despite the fact that the ministry has made major strides in de-politicizing the military, vestiges of the authoritarian era remain.
For example, the military is rife with KMT symbolism, from service badges using the logo of the party, to units like the 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, whose sign says in English "The Frogmen of the Chinese Army," and the Marine Corps, whose insignia depicts China, Tibet and Mongolia -- and just barely -- Hainan and Taiwan.
Also, the military is still overloaded with a bloated General Political Warfare Department, a Stalinist throwback to the days when the KMT was concerned with maintaining a firm grip on the military. Although political warfare officers are now intended to focus on counter-intelligence, propaganda and morale, the department is of questionable military utility in a democratic state.
Any discussion involving altering symbols seen as sacrosanct by KMT diehards will inevitably turn into overt partisan savagery.
Thus far, the ministry has performed admirably and has staunchly supported the nation's legal processes and democratic system, rather than exacerbate the political divide.
But the debate over how the military adapts as Taiwan continues to reform its democratic processes must continue.
Otherwise, the military could become a burden to the nation, not its guardian.
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