A former special forces paratrooper has been walking around Taiwan in the summer heat while carrying a full pack and wearing field gear to raise public awareness about national defense amid the military threat posed by China.
Sightings of him have sparked discussions on social media, especially in groups dedicated to “huandao” (環島), or round-island travel. People have posted updates on his whereabouts, locating him near Yunlin County ‘s Douliou City (斗六) on Thursday.
The former paratrooper has refused to give his name, but has said that he completed his service as a non-commissioned officer of the Airborne Special Operations Forces.
Photo courtesy of online site “Simple talk about politics and military”
People in the huandao groups said he gained their attention as it is rare to see someone hiking in 37°C temperatures while wearing a uniform, flak jacket and protective pads, and carrying a full pack.
His backpack has Taiwan’s national flag attached to it, as well as a composite patch made up of the Taiwan, Japan, Ukraine and US national flags, and a sign reading “in the middle of a round-island march.” He is also carrying a blue replica rifle.
Many people are following him on social media, and some said he was heading south on Friday from Yunlin County to Chiayi County. Locals have also taken photographs with him and posted them online.
A retired officer who runs an online site called “Simple talk about politics and military” (政軍簡單聊) recently tracked the former paratrooper down, for a brief talk and asked him some questions.
“No matter if you identify with the ROC [the Republic of China] or Taiwan, we all belong to this homeland. You can be a descendant of the Han race, or an indigenous person, we are all people living on this land and everyone is a firm believer in freedom and democracy,” the site quoted him as saying.
“All rivers run to the sea, which accommodates all water, and the same goes for Taiwan, which can accommodate all kinds of people. We can all live together, and we shall defend our homeland and safeguard our fellow citizens to preserve our freedom and democracy. We must do this now, and we need you and me and everyone to stand up to uphold peace,” he said.
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