The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday vowed to investigate if its spokesperson’s Facebook account had been hacked, after netizens objected to remarks posted on Facebook after a public uproar over prosecutors’ decision not to press charges against 15 military officers and civilians over a tour of a military base where Apache helicopters are based.
Several statements that appeared yesterday on ministry spokesman Major General David Lo’s (羅紹和) official Facebook page brusquely brushed off calls by netizens for military bases to be opened to the public to view the Apaches and other high-tech equipment.
Lo told a news conference at the ministry that he had not written the comments and that an internal investigation would be launched to determine if the Facebook account had been hacked.
Photo: Lo Tien-pin, Taipei Times
The Facebook fuss was the latest development in the controversy sparked by an unauthorized tour of a Taoyuan military base given by 601st Air Cavalry Brigade Lieutenant Colonel Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成) to several civilians, including TV celebrity Janet Lee (李蒨蓉).
Following the prosecutors’ decision last week not to press charges over the tour, several online petitions were launched calling for public access to the base in Longtan District (龍潭), where the Apache squadron is stationed.
More than 270,000 people signed the petitions, while several borough wardens from cities nationwide have organized tours to local military bases.
Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
Lo’s Facebook page, which usually features information about events and activities by the armed forces, was flooded by messages protesting the prosecutors’ decision and what some saw as the ministry’s efforts to sweep the controversy under the carpet.
In response to these postings, someone with the title “official MND spokesperson” wrote: “In this time where populism rules, it is meaningless to defend the armed forces. Who do they think they are?”
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said the ministry has handled the “Apache helicopter tour” scandal badly and underestimated the public’s anger over privileges and tours granted to celebrities and the families and friends of military personnel while bases remain off-limits to the general public.
The ministry also took steps yesterday to temper some of that anger by announcing that AH-64E Apache helicopters would be put on display at base open days this fall.
They are scheduled to appear at the Tsoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung on Oct. 24 and at Hsinchu Air Base on Nov. 21, Lo said.
He said that public agencies, schools and other registered groups can apply in advance to visit bases, and that permission would be given if such visits were not disruptive of training, daily routine or the rights and interests of military personnel.
Chinese citizens, Hong Kongers and Macau residents would not be permitted to visit Taiwan’s military bases, he said.
Visitors cannot engage in political campaign activities while on tours or bring campaign vests, flags or banners onto bases, Lo said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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