news

The Chiayi Air Force Base of the Taiwan Air Force held an open camp event on the 10th of this month after a six-year absence, attracting nearly 80,000 people to participate that day. According to previous plans, the three military bands would perform the opening performance, but at the event on the 10th, the three military bands publicly played the famous "Warship March" of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, which caused controversy. When Lee Teng-hui was the leader of Taiwan, the military song was also played at the formation ceremony of the 601st Brigade of the Taiwan Army, which caused great controversy. Some officers were punished afterwards, but the military did not learn its lesson.

On the day of the event, the military bands played the "March of the Ships" and coordinated with the honor guard to perform various gun drills. In fact, not many people heard the "March of the Ships" when the military bands performed it, but some netizens heard it and posted it online, and specially marked "Taiwan-Japan military exchanges are low-key, and military music exchanges are high-profile", which triggered a lot of backlash.

Why did this cause controversy? The main reason is that the 4th Wing of the Chiayi Base is the predecessor of the martyr Gao Zhihang, the "Air Force God" of the Taiwan Anti-Japanese War. The opening of the base also celebrates the "August 14" victory of the Anti-Japanese Battle of Songhu on August 14, 1938, so it was set as the Taiwan Air Force Day. Therefore, it aroused public doubts that such a militaristic march would be played on the home ground of the anti-Japanese heroes. It is quite ironic.

In fact, this is not the first time that Japanese military songs have appeared in public in the Taiwan military. During the Lee Teng-hui era, when he went to Longtan, Taoyuan to preside over the formation ceremony of the 601st Aviation Brigade, this "March of Warships" was also played during the review ceremony. A reporter heard it at the time and questioned Lee Teng-hui's "fawning on Japan," which immediately caused an uproar. The person in charge was later punished with a demerit.

Regarding this matter, the Taiwan Defense Department avoided the issue and only said that this was a normal military music exchange. However, netizens did not buy it and directly criticized: "Slaves! We are used to it," "Just kneel down, you chose it yourself," "Taiwan licks the Japanese under the DPP," "Those who forget their roots," "The DPP has been clinging to the thighs of the United States and Japan, and even the Taiwan military has been constantly flattering and catering to the will of the superiors," "Is it the beginning of 'imperialization' again?" Some netizens even said that the Taiwan Defense Department does not feel ashamed, but he, as a citizen, feels ashamed!

(Lin Jingxian, Strait Herald reporter in Taiwan)