President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday called the accidental firing of an anti-ship missile on Friday “unforgivable.”
“The missile mishap on board the Chinchiang-class corvette was absolutely unforgivable,” Tsai said on Facebook. “The armed forces and I are one: When they do well, I would share their glory, and when they make a mistake, I would definitely face it with them.”
Tsai said “bold reforms” are needed to earn back the public’s trust in the military.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Taiwan Thinktank on Thursday and Friday among people aged 20 and older, and published yesterday, gauged people’s opinions on recent incidents, including those implicating military officers.
Of those polled, 74.6 percent regarded the missile incident as an indicator that the armed forces have “a screw loose,” while about 17 percent of the respondents disagreed with the statement and about 9 percent declined to state their opinion.
A cross-analysis of the results suggested that both pan-green and pan-blue supporters believed that the incident was proof of lax management in the military, with 77.6 percent of the respondents who said they support the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and 75.9 percent of those who support the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) sharing the opinion.
DPP Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘), speaking at a news conference in Taipei to release the survey results, was asked whether the Tsai administration’s refusal to apologize to China over the incident could have significant effects on cross-strait ties.
“The incident is apparently a matter of internal affairs, given that the missile landed in our territorial waters and hit Taiwanese fishermen,” Tsai Yi-yu said. “Apologizing to Beijing for it would only make the nation a laughing stock.”
The locally developed Hsiung Feng III missile was launched from one of the navy’s 500-tonne Chinchiang-class corvettes at Zuoying Military Harbor in Kaohsiung during a drill at 8:15am on Friday.
It struck a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Hsiang Li Sheng (翔利昇), operating in waters southeast of Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait, killing its captain, Huang Wen-chung (黃文忠), and injuring three crew members.
The telephone survey also asked people their opinions on last week’s killing of a dog by soldiers at a military base, which resulted in disciplinary measures and legal action against the three officers who killed the dog and the punishment of six of their superiors.
Of those polled, 52.3 percent lauded the military’s handling of the matter, while 33.1 percent disapproved. About 15 percent did not express an opinion, the poll showed.
The poll collected 1,246 valid samples. It has a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
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