President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) should abandon attempts to pursue formal independence from China, a former military chief told hundreds of veterans at a protest against the president's policies yesterday.
More than 1,000 retired generals rallied at a park in Taipei to mark the 80th anniversary of the elite Whampoa Military Academy (
"The president must respect the generals' will," said Hau Pei-tsun (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"He must not commit the sin of harming territorial integration," Hau said, speaking from a stage that was decorated with a huge portrait of former president and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) leader Chiang Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
The rally was held as a protest against Chen, who vowed to draft of a new constitution while he was campaigning for re-election ahead of March's election.
Opposition groups have accused Chen of staging, in order to win sympathy votes, an election-eve shooting in which he was slightly injured -- though, despite the passage of nearly three months' time, they have presented no evidence.
During his inaugural address, Chen took a moderate stance, saying that any constitutional changes would not touch on the sensitive sovereignty issue.
The Whampoa academy was established in 1924 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, and Chiang later re-established it in Fengshan.
Its alumni include Chinese communist revolutionaries Lin Biao (
"The past 80 years have been interwoven with blood and tears, glory and insult," Hau said.
Chen will preside over an official celebration of the academy's anniversary on Wednesday.
Another veteran, Liu Chi-cheng, accused Chen of violating a pledge to remain loyal to the Republic of China.
"The Whampoa spirit of making sacrifices for the good of the public is long lost in Taiwan," Liu said.
"Chen will not gain respect as the commander because he is bringing disaster by pushing for independence," Liu said.
China has also invited veterans to attend anniversary celebrations in China, but few Taiwanese have accepted the invitation, Liu said.
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