Retired military members should be firm in their patriotism and not engage in actions that would undermine Taiwan’s democracy, which has been built on the blood and sacrifices of our forebears, Veterans Affairs Council (VAC) Minister Yen De-fa (嚴德發) said.
Yen made the remarks in an interview with the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) on Friday following indictments the previous day against seven retired military officials — all members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party — for allegedly conspiring to aid the enemy in the event of a Chinese invasion.
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to further its hegemony not only makes it a more significant threat to Taiwan day by day, but also heightens the challenge faced by the region as a whole, Yen said.
Photo: Liu Yu-chieh, Taipei Times
Taiwanese, regardless of sector or vocation, should recognize that the lives of soldiers and veterans have been given so that they could enjoy a free and democratic country governed by the rule of law, he said.
Retired military members especially must not bite the hand that feeds them, he said.
The VAC would continue efforts to tell retired military groups that any interactions with Chinese counterparts must be conducted with mutual respect and that the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) must be observed, Yen said.
Future VAC policies would focus on enhancing veterans’ prospects after retirement from the military and upholding dignity as a military retiree, he said, adding that such policies would enhance Ministry of National Defense incentives to attract volunteer military personnel.
The VAC would also intensify its efforts to inform groups formed by retired military personnel about possible strategies and ploys adopted by the CCP, which hopes to absorb retired Taiwanese military personnel as informants, he said.
The VAC is continuing its efforts to deepen ties with the three major veteran associations in the US to facilitate interactions between Taiwanese and US military retirees, he said, adding that such efforts have helped increase Taiwan’s visibility to the international community as well.
Regarding China’s continued efforts to oppress Taiwan internationally, Yen said the Taiwanese military must be more patriotic to withstand such efforts, adding that the VAC would continue to work with peers in the US, Japan and Europe to help realize such goals.
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