Former military leaders denounced a proposal by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) to modify the Republic of China Military Academy anthem, saying that the lyrics are a legacy to be preserved.
The pro-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lyrics — “party flags flutter” — should be changed to “national flags flutter” — to make it politically neutral, Liu said on Thursday during a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
Asking which party was referred to by the term “party flags,” Liu said that the lyrics might not be appropriate today as it is a reminder of the KMT’s decades-long party-state regime.
The song, written in 1926, was banned in 2006 during former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration, but reinstated in 2008 when the KMT regained power.
Former minister of national defense Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) yesterday said that instead of changing the lyrics, the historical background of the anthem should be understood and appreciated.
“History has to be respected. Each era has its own historical context. For example, La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, has a history behind it,” Kao said.
Retired lieutenant general Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷) said on Facebook that the proposal was “narrow-minded and ignorant ideology.”
If the DPP wanted to carry out a “full-scale desinicization,” it should also phase out Chinese languages, tradition and religions that did not originate in Taiwan, Wu said.
“Changes should first be made to your ancestral graves and shrines if you want to change the lyrics of the academy anthem,” he said.
Ministry of the National Defense spokesman Major General Chen Chung-chi (陳中吉) said the ministry respected different opinions and would conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the issue.
New Power Party caucus convener Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) said Wu’s remark was a product of the KMT’s “brainwashing education,” which blurred the distinction between the nation and the party.
“People who are confused about the distinction between a party and a nation eventually fall into the logic of equating party loyalty with patriotism,” Hsu said.
During legislative reviews of nominees for the Council of Grand Justices, some legislators judged the nominees on their willingness to sing the national anthem, which had been adapted from a KMT song, he said.
The ministry might as well write a new song if it is concerned about copyright issues involved in making changes to the song, Hsu said.
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