Statues of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) yesterday were defaced around the nation, including in Yilan, Nantou and Miaoli counties, in apparent acts of protest coinciding with 228 Memorial Day.
In Yilan City, slogans that read “Taiwan’s Hitler” and “Culprit of 228” were sprayed in red on a statue of Chiang in the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park, while “China’s Founding Father” was sprayed on the park’s statue of Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙).
In Nantou’s Jhongsing New Village (中興新村), a statue of Chiang was covered with a white cloth cut to resemble a shroud.
A statue of Chiang in a Miaoli City parking lot was also defaced. A box, on which “Apologize” was written, was placed over the statue’s head, while a board hung from its neck read “Murderer.”
Vandalism of monuments honoring historical figures of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have been common in recent years on 228 Memorial Day, a day dedicated to the remembrance of the 228 Incident — an uprising that began on Feb. 27, 1947, which was violently suppressed by the KMT government, marking the beginning of the White Terror era.
This year’s vandalism was preceded by public criticism of Chiang and Sun by academics last week.
Historian and Academia Sinica associate research fellow Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深) said that Chiang should no longer be commemorated in the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, because he bore “primary responsibility” for the Incident.
A panel of historians, including National Chengchi University Graduate Institute of Taiwan History director Hsueh Hua-yuan (薛化元), criticized the public veneration of Sun as party-state dogma and called for the abolition of laws that require the president and legislators to salute Sun’s portrait at inauguration ceremonies and at the start of legislative sessions.
A netizen who goes by the name “Shih Yu-Ming” on Facebook claimed responsibility for the defacement of the Chiang’s statue in Nantou and posted an image of the shrouded figure early yesterday morning with a caption that read: “You had no time for contrition, so I helped by covering you with this shroud for 228.”
Miaoli Mayor Chiu Ping-kun (邱炳坤) said that vandalism should not be used to express grievances or opinions about Chiang, adding that the city had sent work crews to clean the statue.
Although the Miaoli Police Bureau said that it is trying to identify the perpetrators of the defacement, the city government said it would not file charges “for the moment,” the Chinese-Language Apple Daily said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old