The latest edition of the National Public Safety Guide is being mailed to all citizens starting today to foster public awareness of self-defense in the event of war or natural disasters, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
“The guides will be disseminated to the public to enhance society’s overall understanding of threats and bolster defense awareness, demonstrating the government’s emphasis on people’s safety and its determination to pursue self-defense,” All-out Defense Mobilization Agency Director Shen Wei-chih (沈威志) said at the ministry’s news conference.
The nationwide distribution campaign was planned according to President Lai William’s (賴清德) Sept. 20 directive, he said, adding that the goal is to deliver all handbooks to Taiwan’s 9.83 million registered households by Jan. 5.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei Times
Copies will also be distributed at public welfare events, disaster prevention drills and national defense education courses, he said.
Starting on Dec. 19, an additional 105,000 printed copies in English are to be delivered to embassies and representative offices, said Chao Shih-hsuan (趙世絢), a deputy counselor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The handbook’s publication cost NT$42.79 million (US$1.37 million), or an average of NT$3.8 per booklet, with the funds coming from the government’s Secondary Reserve Fund, Shen said, adding that distribution costs are expected to reach NT$20 million.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kun, Taipei Times
The government’s effort to bolster public security consciousness and social resilience aligns with policies adopted by other democracies worldwide, such as the Czech Republic, Sweden, Finland and Lithuania, he said.
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events and natural disasters, and severe risks posed by authoritarian governments in international affairs highlighted the need for the booklet’s general distribution, Shen said.
Asked whether Taiwan’s more than 800,000 migrant workers are included in the distribution, Chao said: “We will have to coordinate with the relevant authorities to explore additional distribution channels beyond embassies and representative offices in Taiwan.”
In addition to hard copies, Chinese and English-language electronic versions can be downloaded from the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency’s Web site.
The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022. The guide covers information ranging from go-bag preparation to survival tips during natural disasters and wartime emergencies.
National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) has noted that the booklet clearly states that: “Under the threat of war, Taiwan will never surrender.”
The new version has been compiled referencing similar documents in circulation in northern Europe, including what necessities must be prepared, reactive measures in different scenarios and what to do in time of war, he said.
The handbook states that any information about the government surrendering or the nation having failed is fake news and the public must cleave to this belief to prevent possible confusion caused by disinformation perpetrated by the enemy, Lin said.
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