Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators asked yesterday for the military to stop sing war songs honoring China or the Chinese.
"Taiwan's war songs must be de-sinicized. It is very ridiculous to sing war songs such as China Must Be Strong (
"The Ministry of National Defense has regulated a total of 180 war songs sung in the military. Most of them honor China or the Chinese," Lin and Hsueh said.
JULY 1 DEADLINE
"We are asking the ministry to ban those songs before July 1," the two lawmakers said.
Lin along with fellow DPP lawmakers Chai Trong (
The ministry said that as of March 1, I Love Chunghwa would no longer be sung.
Lin said several war songs that commemorate Chiang Kai-shek (
`NOT FAVORITES' LIST
Lin said there are 10 pro-China but anti-Taiwan songs which must be immediately banned, including China Must Be Strong, China Is Strong Because Of Me (有我在中國一定強), Chinese Exist All Over The World (四海都有中國人), The Hearts Of Chinese Parents (中國父母心), The Chinese Camel (中國駱駝), Chinese (中國人), Everlasting Big Love (千秋大愛), Whampoa War Song (黃埔戰歌), War Song Of Our Age (時代的戰歌) and The Air Force Hero (空軍英雄).
Those songs have too many Chinese elements in them, such as "We are new age Chinese youth," "I am dying for China" or "I am the Chinese air force," and they confuse our soldiers as to who their enemies are, Lin said.
Hsueh said while China enacted "Anti-Secession" Law, threatening to use military force against Taiwan, the nation's military still sings war songs cheering for China or Chinese.
"Is there anything more absurd than this?" she said.
ANTI-JAPANESE LYRICS
In addition, Lin said, Taiwan views Japan as a strategic partner and the US and Japan have said they see the Taiwan Strait as a common strategic objective, yet a Japanese delegation watching this year's military exercise would hear Taiwanese soldiers singing I Won't Go Back to My Hometown If Japanese are not Expelled (
Both Lin and Hsueh said they would ask the ministry to compose new marching songs which would better represent Taiwan's spirit and promote the military's morale.
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