A video allegedly featuring retired general Kao An-kuo (高安國) calling on Taiwanese military officers to surrender to China and overthrow the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has sparked outrage and calls for him to be charged with treason.
The video, titled “A message to Taiwanese military officers,” allegedly shows Kao saying: “I call on commanding officers of our military troops to stand up for Chinese nationalism, to take up this duty under heaven’s mandate to save Taiwanese from oppression and terrible suffering.”
Dressed in military fatigues and a beret, the lieutenant general called on officers to overthrow the “fraudulent DPP regime,” and join forces with other pro-China unification political parties and groups “to achieve the sacred mission of unification of the Chinese race.”
According to military records, Kao graduated from the Military Academy in 1966, served as deputy commander of the Taoyuan-based Sixth Army Command and is a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
He was one of the few Taiwanese officer candidates to be sent to the US, enrolling at the Fort Benning US Army Infantry School in 1972. After returning to Taiwan, he finished his officer-training program at the National Defense University in 1978.
Media reports showed that Kao had openly advocated for China to annex Taiwan, urged Taiwanese soldiers not to fight should China mount an invasion and participated in the “China Cross-Strait Military Generals Forum” in Xiamen in December 2014.
DPP Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) yesterday said that Kao’s action amounts to treason, as he openly advocates surrendering to China, which contravenes the National Security Act (國家安全法).
“This video is now circulating on the Internet, working to affect the morale of our military troops and undermine our national security,” Lai said.
“Our judiciary must initiate, investigate and prosecute such an act of treason. Such talks must not be tolerated,” he added. “The justice system and national security agencies must not stand by and do nothing, as if they condone Kao’s treasonous conduct.”
Attorney and former prosecutor Weng Wei-lun (翁偉倫) said Kao could be charged under the Criminal Code for “offenses on inciting persons in armed services not to carry out orders, to desert, or to mutiny,” which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
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