The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday proposed abandoning the current national anthem, saying that the party would finalize a suitable song for the country through a referendum.
In the wake of comments last Saturday by President Chen Shui-bian (
They urged the public to write a new one to replace it.
"The very first phrase of the national anthem `the Three Principles of the People, our party's aim shall be' (
The national anthem is a song that was used by the Whampoa Military Academy -- the predecessor of the Chinese Military Academy which is now in Fengshan, Kaohsiung -- in the 1920s, in the early years of the Republic of China. The lyrics were written by Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) and the party mentioned in the song is the KMT.
Huang said Taiwan's national anthem should emphasize that "all the ethnic groups in Taiwan are equal" and a profound affection to the land.
The lyrics Sun wrote were aimed at encouraging the KMT's disciples and do not match the situation in Taiwan, he said.
"All of the people of Taiwan should be able to identify with the new national anthem and it should not reveal the beliefs of any specific political party," Huang added.
But Huang also said that neither the Constitution nor other laws regulated the content of the national anthem, so if the administrative branch opposed the party's proposal, the TSU would move for a referendum to finalize the national anthem.
Ho suggested that the first phrase of the national anthem should be changed to "Principles of Taiwan, our people's aim shall be" and one of the original phrases in the national anthem "to found the Republic" should be specified as "to found the Taiwan Republic."
Ho urged people to take the inappropriateness of the current national anthem seriously and said that composing a new one would be helpful in establishing the people's identification with the country and the land.
"The TSU hopes that people who are interested in composing a new national anthem will contact us," Ho said.
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers