Chagrined at recent accusations that the military has been illegally eavesdropping on leading opposition politicians, Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) yesterday lashed out at a group of retired generals, saying they had misled the public.
"These former comrades-in-arms spoke without restraint on TV talk shows about their experiences in the military. Their recollections suggest that the military might still be the same as the one they knew. This is a great insult to the military," Tang said.
"I guarantee that no one in the military dares to eavesdrop on political figures, which would be in violation of my order to maintain political neutrality. If anyone is found to be engaged in this illegal practice, he would not only lose his job but also be court-martialed," he said.
Tang was speaking at a media conference yesterday.
Known for his mild personality, Tang yesterday spoke in an uncharacteristically angry tone as he condemned several retired generals for having misled the public to believe that the military is still serving the interests of a particular political party in the form of illegal eavesdropping.
Tang did not identity whom he was referring to, but two retired majors-general, both members of the National Security Bureau (NSB), are frequent guests on TV talk shows. They became main attractions on these shows by daring to speak out about subjects that had been forbidden.
A former journalist who is also a self-styled military expert, has been another source of information for these talk shows. He is known for being able to speak with authority on anything related to the military, ranging from weaponry, combat tactics and personnel to intelligence.
Tang expressed contempt for those who claim to know a lot about irregularities in the military, but who neglect to mention where they featured in these alleged incidents.
"We will not allow these men to continue insulting and hurting the military. We will take action. If any of these men were found to have been involved in the irregularities they claim to know so much about, they would have to take legal responsibility for their deeds," he said.
"These men are referring to experiences they have had and implying that today's military service is still the same, but there is not necessarily a connection between the two," he said.
"We welcome any evidence they might have proving that the military is still the same as when they were serving in it. We will not tolerate any ungrounded insinuations."
At a luncheon meeting with the press later yesterday, Tang added that the people making the allegations should consider if they were free of guilt themselves.
"I know they will fight back on the TV shows. They are likely to accuse me of interfering with their freedom of speech. I will face up to that," he said.
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