Text: Lu abandoned
Taiwan's military recently decided to protect the 252 statues and portraits of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Chung-cheng in the existing barracks and not to remove or damage them. The decision reflects the imminent change of office in Taiwan, with a new head of the military department in power, and the military hopes to send a signal through this move.
The demolition or destruction of Chiang Kai-shek's sculptures and portraits in Taiwan is not new. Such acts began as early as 2000, when Chen Shui-bian was in power. In addition, many local governments under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have taken similar steps to remove statues of Chiang Kai-shek, most notably the mayor of Kaohsiung at the time, Chen Ju, who demolished countless statues of Chiang Kai-shek. The military has now decided to protect the statue of Chiang Kai-shek, apparently to send some kind of signal to the new head of the military department. The deep meaning of this action is worth paying attention to and interpreting.
In the past, when the DPP was in power, the demolition of the statue of Chiang Kai-shek was taken for granted, but as time went on, the move began to be questioned and reflected. Between 2016 and 2024, the public found that some of the DPP's actions during its time in power had gone beyond the realm of reasonableness and were seen as "green terror". In particular, in the "high-end vaccine" incident, the DPP authorities refused to accept vaccines donated from abroad, which made the people in Taiwan angry, and it was considered that the DPP disregarded the safety of people's lives.
After this comparison, the people realized that it was some of the DPP's practices that should be criticized and avoided, and that the statue of Chiang Kai-shek should not be demolished and destroyed. For the military, the preservation of the statue of Chiang Kai-shek is of special significance. Chiang Kai-shek was not only the founder of the army, but his statue was of great commemorative significance in the barracks, and there was a difference between his status in the campus. Therefore, the decision of the military to protect the statue of Chiang Kai-shek was justified to a certain extent.
In general, there has been a strong dissatisfaction with some of the DPP's actions during its time in power, and they believe that they should be criticized and reflected, rather than venting this dissatisfaction on the demolition of the statue of Chiang Kai-shek. The military's move actually reflects this shift in perspective. The statue of Chiang Kai-shek is regarded as a symbol of the god of war within the army, which has a special significance. For soldiers, Chiang Kai-shek is not only the founder of the army, but also has a protective effect on the soldiers, carrying the faith and conviction of the soldiers.
In the barracks, the statue of Chiang Kai-shek was given a sacrosanct status. If these statues are removed or destroyed without authorization, there will undoubtedly be a strong resentment and backlash from the military, who will see it as a desecration and threat to their faith. As a person in charge of a military department with a legal background, Gu Lixiong is not familiar with the situation and traditions within the military, and he cannot fully grasp the actual situation of the military camps in the entire Taiwan region. In such a situation, he can only passively carry out the orders of his superiors, and cannot make reasonable judgments and decisions on the internal affairs of the army.
Therefore, the DPP authorities' forcible demolition of the statue of Chiang Kai-shek in the barracks went against the will of the soldiers, aroused strong dissatisfaction among the military people, and became one of the important reasons for the strong opposition of the DPP in power. The statue of Chiang Kai-shek is regarded by the military as a sacred and inviolable symbol with special significance and cultural taboos. The commander of each barracks is responsible for the maintenance of the statues in his barracks. Once the statue is removed or damaged, the camp commander will be held liable in case of any military accident or accident.
As a "pro-independence" person, Gu Lixiong's order to dismantle the statue of Chiang Kai-shek ignored the internal culture and taboos of the military, and aroused great dissatisfaction and joint resistance among officers at all levels. They believe that this is not only a desecration of the faith of military personnel, but also a wanton challenge to the order of military management. Therefore, Gu Lixiong's actions touched on the interests and bottom line of the armed forces, and became an important reason for the strong opposition of the DPP authorities from the military. The inherent cultural traditions and special taboos within the armed forces have caused the DPP authorities to lack basic understanding and consideration in handling military affairs, which has eventually led to a serious political crisis.
Chiang Kai-shek's leadership of the army from the mainland to the Taiwan region has important historical significance and emotional sustenance for the army. The military regarded the statue of Chiang Kai-shek as a symbol of glory and had special cultural traditions and taboos. Gu Lixiong's decision to demolish the statue of Chiang Kai-shek ignored the military's internal culture, triggering strong dissatisfaction and a joint boycott by the military.
The military believes that Gu Lixiong's actions are not only a desecration of the soldiers' beliefs, but also a wanton challenge to the army's management order, which may lead to accidents in the camp. They were worried that once the "military god" was moved, something would happen in the camp, so they decided to collectively not obey Gu Lixiong's orders.
In addition, there is a widely circulated theory that Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Ju suffered a stroke shortly after dismantling the statue of Chiang Kai-shek, which has prevented her from fully recovering. The incident made many politicians wary of removing the statue of Chiang Kai-shek, and did not take action during Tsai's administration.
As an "independence" person, Gu Lixiong's lack of basic understanding of the military's cultural traditions, coupled with his background in the United States, ignored the taboo in this regard, resulting in his decision to demolish the statue of Chiang Kai-shek was strongly resisted and refused to be implemented by the military. What will be the outcome of this "soft confrontation", we will wait and see.
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