Tue, Jul 15, 2025 page3

• Former military personnel call for recall vote support

  • By Chen Yu-fu and Jason Pan / Staff reporters
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  Retired air force officer Hsu Pai-yueh (徐柏岳) on Sunday joined other former military personnel, academics and democracy advocates in calling on the public to support the recall vote on July 26, and criticizing the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for what they described as a shift toward pro-China positions.

  Military personnel and retired officers who helped canvass and collect petition signatures to recall KMT lawmakers now represent the “True Blue Army,” a force defending the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan), Hsu said.

  The news event marked a rare convergence of pro-Taiwan civil society groups and members of the “True Blue Army” — a term often used to describe retired military officers, particularly those of Chinese heritage who came to Taiwan after 1949 or are affiliated with deep-blue factions such as the KMT’s Huang Fu-hsing (黃復興) branch.

  

  Members of the Taiwan Society and other civil society groups speak during a news conference in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

  Known as Taiwan’s “Eagle Dad” (鷹爸), Hsu has led efforts to rally retired and active-duty military personnel to demonstrate patriotism and defend the nation against threats from China.

  He also called on voters to cast “yes” ballots in support of recalling pro-China KMT lawmakers, framing the campaign as the first mass recall movement (大罷免) in Taiwan’s democratic history.

  “We urge for the True Blue Army to take part in the recall vote, as one way to defeat communist China,” Hsu said, adding that many of his former classmates and friends — including some high-ranking officers and generals — share the view that the Taiwanese military must remain steadfast in upholding its anti-communist doctrine and committed to resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

  “Through the recall campaign, we found that many KMT members also joined in collecting signatures, because they are deeply frustrated by their party’s shift away from its anti-communist roots toward becoming a pro-China party,” Hsu said. “These people still identify with the blue camp, but they told us this is a battle for the nation’s survival.”

  Former National Defense University Political Warfare College dean Yu Tsung-chi (余宗基) said that while military officers generally refrain from open political engagement, “many have felt compelled to speak out due to what they perceive as increasing infiltration by red communist elements in society, posing a serious threat to Taiwan’s security and our nation’s existence.”

  “While the majority of Taiwan prefer to maintain the ‘status quo,’ it is important to recognize how the meaning of that term is evolving in the current political context,” he said. “We must decide between continuing to live in freedom and democracy, or falling under the authoritarian rule of communist China.”

  “The outcome of the upcoming recall votes carries significant implications for Taiwan’s future and is being closely watched by the international community,” Yu added.

  Retired army major general Chiu Wei-pang (丘衛邦) said that Taiwan is facing an existential threat.

  “We must secure a ‘yes’ vote to remove the KMT lawmakers who are collaborating with the Taiwan People’s Party to push through legislation that could allow communist China to annex Taiwan without firing a shot,” Chiu said. “Their proposed amendments would dismantle the ROC and pave the way for Beijing’s rule.”

  Chiu warned of growing signs that China is meddling in Taiwan’s internal affairs, including the deployment of propaganda resources to support the KMT and persuade the public to vote “no” in the recalls.

  “The lawmakers advancing these dangerous proposals are acting as agents of the CCP,” he said. “They are working to paralyze the current administration and destroy our government from within. The only way to stop this is through the recall vote — to remove the pro-China KMT lawmakers and safeguard the future of our nation.”

  The event also featured representatives from the Taiwan Association of University Professors, the Union of Taiwanese Teachers (台灣教師聯盟), the Peng Ming-min Foundation (彭明敏基金會), the Taiwan Island Sustainable Development Association (台灣島永續發展協會), the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan and other civil society groups.
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