Posted on 04/06/2007 6:49:55 AM PDT by zook
Kuomintang heavyweights and supporters yesterday marked the 32nd death anniversary of President Chiang Kai-shek at venues that could no longer be dedicated to their late leader by next year. KMT Honorary Chairman Lien Chan led incumbent and former party officials, including former party chief Ma Ying-jeou, to pay tribute at Chiang's mausoleum in Taoyuan.
While the ceremony in Taoyuan was more like an annual routine, another KMT group performed in Taipei an elaborate ritual in defense of Chiang's name against what they considered a government campaign to deny his contribution to the nation.
The group, including former Premier Hau Pei-tsun, sang the national anthem at the square of Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
They then climbed the stairs up to the hall to lay flowers at the feet of a large Chiang statue, and salute the late leader.
"Destroy Taiwan independence, defend the Republic of China," some supporters chanted during the ceremony in Taipei.
This may be the last time that such ceremonies have taken place at the two places, which for years have represented the KMT's utmost reverence for a leader who the party claims should deserve credit for years of stability in Taiwan.
But the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which took over the administration in 2000, is challenging the KMT's claims, calling Chiang a dictator who was responsible for killings of native Taiwanese in the Feb. 28 Incident in 1947.
The DPP government is stepping up efforts to rid references to Chiang from public places, and the mausoleum in Taoyuan and the memorial hall in Taipei are two major targets.
The government plans to remove Chiang's embalmed body from the mausoleum to a military cemetery in the mountains of Taipei.
The mausoleum is like a medium-sized park with trees and a lake, but the new tomb for Chiang occupies room comparable to only a small apartment.
The government is also considering a name change for the CKS Hall in Taipei -- which for years has been a tourist attraction -- to mark the democratization of Taiwan.
And a very likely consequence of the name change is the removal of Chiang's statue from the main hall, a traditional Chinese structure with white walls and a blue roof.
The Kaohsiung City government, under DPP Mayor Chen Chu, has recently dismantled a bronze statue of Chiang from the southern city's cultural hall despite strong protests from KMT supporters.
The military has also removed all of Chiang's statues from its barracks.
"In the face of the DPP's actions, including the dismantling of Mr Chiang's bronze statues, the KMT has been unable to do anything," lamented Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu, who is running for the party's chairmanship.
"How can we defend the Republic of China if this is allowed to go on? The KMT must make a move and toughen its stance, or it won't be able face its supporters," Hung said during the Taipei ceremony.
KMT Central Committee member Ma Yi-nan, a sister of former Chairman Ma, said she met Chiang once during childhood, and that was the proudest moment of her life.
Former Premier Hau said Chiang contributed much to defending and developing Taiwan.
"We should rationally respect historical truth," said Hau. "Mr. Chiang contributed much to the safety of Taiwan's people. The majority of Chinese should thank him."
Hau's remarks about "Chinese" were an obvious criticism for the DPP, whose "de-Chiang" drive is taken by the KMT as an election-boosting maneuver deepening the identity differences between so-called native Taiwanese and mainlanders.
In Taoyuan, former KMT chief Ma said Chiang did more good than harm to Taiwan.
"When we assess his life, we must adopt a much wider perspective," said Ma, who is the mostly likely candidate to represent the party in next year's presidential race.
Commenting on the Taiwanese-mainlander row, the Hong Kong-born Ma said the issue should not be played up whenever an election is coming.
He said he has lived in Taiwan for 50 years, and he loves the island. "Who dare say I'm not a Taiwanese?" maintained Ma, who many DPP supporters say does not deserve to become the president because of his capacity as a mainlander.
Chiang believed in a “One China” policy.
I recently started listening to the new biography of Mao by Jung Chang and Jon Haliday on CD. It’s absolutely mind blowing. They expose Mao for the murderer he really was, how he used people, abandoned his wives and children, etc. I knew Mao was responsible for millions and millions of deaths, but I had no idea that the murdering started so early in his communist career or that he was so callous so early.
I was also surprised to learn (and I have only listened to about 7 of the 29 hours and 51 minutes of the CD set so far) that Chiang (who was always something of a hero of mine) had made numerous blunders in dealing with the communists that allowed them to survive again and again when he could have wiped them out.
I kept thinking...are we doing the same thing with the Islamic terrorists today? Aren’t we making the same mistake?
There’s another book, an old one, called “The China Tangle” that describes America’s efforts to persuade Chiang to fight harder against the Japanese. Apparently, Mao’s forces were much fiercer in this regard and it helps explain why he gained such popularity among the masses.
Mao was a demon, no question. But put it in the context of the Japanese genocidal invasion and everything kind of blends together into a not so hard to digest stew.
By the way, I have a “Mao number” of 3. My good friend’s father was a close associate of his.
“who were subjugated by the arrival of mainland Chinese”
In my opinion, were it not for Chaing, the “native Taiwanese” likely would have been subjugated by the arrival of the commies. This would not have been to anyone’s advantage.
This essentially was my dad’s observation after 1949. He was a Hump pilot in the CBI Campaign and knew plenty of Nationalist Chinese, good and bad.
Ping.
Hopefully, some commemorated his death by taking a leak on his grave. Hope he’s enjoying Hell.
“Apparently, Mao’s forces were much fiercer in this regard and it helps explain why he gained such popularity among the masses.”
Chang and Halliday document in detail how Mao actually tried (throughout the mid to late 30’s) to NOT fight the Japanese. It was only under intense pressure from Stalin (who feared a Japanese invasion of Russia) that he began such a struggle. I still have 17 disks to go! At this point Mao just received his orders from Stalin to launch attacks on the Japanese. Before this he has assiduously avoided any major battles with them and concentrated on his new found alliance with the KMT to stay out of the fight while grabbing huge parcels of territory behind Japanese lines (while still avoiding fighting the Japanese). Fascinating...and chilling.
Good points.
Thanks.
Are you really talking about Chiang? I know some people despise him, but without him it seems that Taiwan would have suffered under the PRC for many years.
Is that the book with the big colorful picture of Mao on the cover? If so, I have that, but haven’t begun reading it.
The book does have a color picture of Mao. It is a very impressive book (at least on CD!: I have no idea about references or bibliography because it’s on CD; what is most interesting about the authors is that they have been conducting and collecting interviews with people who knew Mao and Chiang personally (including the KMT army officer who kidnapped Chiang and later retired to Hawaii !!!). The book is filled with fascinating characters: good, bad and ugly.
The only truly decent people I’ve learned about in the book all died at the end of a bayonet.
Also interesting is how Edgar Snow, an American reporter, painted a pretty picture of Mao, essentially covering up his bloody trail through 1930’s China.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/55/418.html
Honestly, this book is fascinating. I wish I had more time to listen to it. I thought I knew Mao’s story decently well, but I had no idea about many of things presented in the book. What a souless monster Mao really was!
“The Nationalist government was every bit as nasty as the Commies.”
I don’t think so! The people of Taiwan were never forced into collective farms or re-education camps. They were never forced to attend group-think meetings. Their teachers were never stoned in the public square. The people of Taiwan were always allowed to travel, change jobs, and leave the country.
I really think you’ve engaged in some unsupportable hyperbole! Taiwan was a dictatorship, perhaps, but not a totalitarian state!
On the other hand, the ChiComs still run an oppressive authoritarian regime while Taiwan is free, and began moving toward freedom under Chiang's son.
Dictator, yes. He had many personal and leadership failures. But Mao he was not, and he made some important positive contributions to history.
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