The Nihon Keizai Shimbun recently launched a series of special topics on “Taiwan’s Unknown True Face”. The first report focused on the hidden corners lurking in the Taiwan military. Most of the military cadres are from other provinces, and the minister of defense is also monopolized by outsiders. President Tsai Ing-wen cannot control the army. Relevant reports were sensational. From the Ministry of National Defense, the Retirement Committee, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Presidential Office, they all came forward to refute or condemn.
The Nikkei report was unimaginable, causing an uproar from all walks of life. Both the Ministry of National Defense and the Retirement Association accused Nikkei of citing unknown sources, fabricating out of thin air, and slandering the national army; but is this just the prejudice of the Japanese media, or is it also misleading by some people in Taiwan? The content of the report was told to the Nikkei by anonymous military sources, retired army and military experts; unless these interviewees are all fabricated, otherwise, the biased views of these people can still be exported to domestic sales and cause waves. Is it a hidden worry for the national army and national security?
Regarding the Nikkei report, Luying’s reaction was also surprising. The Japanese media slandered the current retired national army, and the green media reported that the Nikkei Shimbun had hit the key point, which was like trampling on the dignity of the national army; and even the presidential palace had said that the report was harmful to the current retired national army. The national army is not fair. Many green committee members including DPP legislator Liu Shifang even jointly signed a proposal requesting an investigation into whether the retired military officers in the past five years have committed any violations such as leaking secrets. This is tantamount to stabbing the retired national army again. .
The Japanese media’s reports hurt the image of the national army, trampled on the dignity of the national army, undermined the unity of the national army, and further divided the relationship between the military and the people. But behind the conversations of those interviewees and their strange reactions to related reports, there is a common narrow mentality; they do not trust or are somewhat hostile to the national army, and even hype the provincial complex that has been swept into the dustbin of history. The specter of narrow provincial complex will continue to tear society apart; and the attack on the national army is the biggest risk to national security.
The supervision of national defense affairs should be done, but the officers and soldiers of the National Army are defending the country with their lives, safeguarding the survival of the country, and defending democracy and freedom. The national army is corrupt; how to teach the national army how to fight? While calling for national unity, they are looking for enemies among the people; while promoting national defense, they are destroying the trust of the military and the people; so they still want to fight against China to protect Taiwan? What is especially frightening is that the ghost of the provincial complex in civil society, which has gradually disappeared, is still haunting, and it is even used to provoke ethnic groups and divide the national army.
In fact, the protest scenes that appeared in the February 28 memorial activities also reflected the same narrow mentality. Former President Ma Ying-jeou listened sincerely to the families of the victims and apologized more than 30 times for 228. Taipei Mayor Jiang Wanan also listened and apologized, but the commemorative activities were still disrupted by protests. During the election, they questioned that Jiang Wanan was not a descendant of the Jiang family; when February 28 came, they asked Jiang Wanan to apologize as a descendant of the Jiang family; Jiang Wanan apologized, but they still said that the apology was perfunctory and insincere. In fact, they only wanted to humiliate Ma Ying-jeou and Jiang Wanan, but they insulted the wishes of the families of the victims for healing, pain relief and tolerance and peace; they tried to find out “non-my race” to worship the flag, but they always paid a lot of attention to the wounds of history and society. Sprinkle with salt.
For comparison, the key words in Tsai Ing-wen’s February 28 talks since she took office, from the initial truth and reconciliation to the current “Taiwanese live with dignity”, have become more and more vivid; Legislation and actions in the name of “justice” don’t care about the historical truth, but deliberately cut the facts; I don’t see that I want to seek reconciliation, I only see the full-scale hunting and killing of political enemies; Over the years, the society has never been united, only the country has been divided. What kind of demonstration and misleading are the rulers giving the people?
The Nikkei news report is not accidental. Echoing Nikkei’s slander against the national army, followed by Nikkei’s investigation of retired military officers, and Chen Kang’s commemoration of the 228 memorial activities all stem from the same mentality. But the country is torn apart, the society is disintegrated, the national army is divided, and the military and the people are suspicious of each other. Can Taiwan just continue to be sad?
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