Pro-independence groups yesterday called for the removal of the statue of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (
Removal of the statue would be the first step toward lifting the "spiritual martial law," the groups said at a demonstration in front of the memorial hall yesterday.
"Although martial law was lifted 20 years ago, it still exists in the minds of many Taiwanese," said Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), chairman of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Chiang's statues can still be found in many public places. We need to clean up all such public places before a complete removal of the spiritual martial law is possible," he said.
The memorial hall, formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, was completed in 1980 under the then Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime.
Although the memorial hall was renamed earlier this year, a giant bronze statue of Chiang still remains in the main lobby.
An official from the memorial hall's management office received the demonstrators and accepted a copy of the petition from the groups.
Tsay gave an example of how the "marital law mentality" still existed in Taiwan.
He said that many people they approached were reluctant to sign petitions, "because they fear something, even though nothing would happen to them. That's what I call a martial law mentality.'"
Two young demonstrators at the scene may have exhibited such "martial law mentality," Tsay said, as even though they both agreed to talk to the Taipei Times, they would not give their full names.
The two women, surnamed Lin and Huang, said they both supported the groups' demands and hoped the statue would be "torn down as soon as possible."
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
New Party Deputy Secretary-General You Chih-pin (游智彬) this morning went to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to “turn himself in” after being notified that he had failed to provide proof of having renounced his Chinese household registration. He was one of more than 10,000 naturalized Taiwanese citizens from China who were informed by the NIA that their Taiwanese citizenship might be revoked if they fail to provide the proof in three months, people familiar with the matter said. You said he has proof that he had renounced his Chinese household registration and demanded the NIA provide proof that he still had Chinese
RSS