Taiwan to remove last statues of martial law-era leader Chiang Kai-shek

Taiwan has vowed to remove 760 remaining statues of its late martial law-era leader Chiang Kai-shek, despite criticism that such moves “erase” the past.

See also: HKFP Lens: Symbols of savagery or tributes to founder figure? Taiwan ponders fate of Chiang Kai-shek statues

The island has long been divided over how – if at all – to commemorate Chaing. While he helped defeat the invading Japanese in World War II, fought Mao Zedong’s communists, and built modern Taiwan, he also ruled it with an iron fist for decades.

During a 1947 crackdown, at least 18,000 people were killed on Chiang’s watch, whilst at least 3,000 to 4,000 were executed in the “White Terror” years that lasted until 1987. Around 140,000 were arrested, imprisoned or tortured for their real, or perceived, opposition to the Kuomintang’s (KMT) rule, government records have shown.

Cihu Memorial Sculpture Park, near Taoyuan City, is where many tributes to the generalissimo have ended up after being transferred from other locations.

Deputy Director General of the Department of Human Rights and Transitional Justice Shih Pu said on Monday that the remaining 760 statues of Chiang would be removed by the interior ministry, following calls from a lawmaker to speed up the process.

According to the Guardian, he told lawmakers that removals were slowed down by the fact that “the defense ministry has said it needs to take into account the military tradition.” Chiang founded their training schools in China and then Taiwan.

Meanwhile, the opposition KMT has raised concerns that the ruling party is seeking to erase history. Hsu Yu-chien, the KMT’s assistant director of international affairs, said: “We believe it’s very important for the current government to contemplate more on the various groups of people’s historic memory,” the Guardian reported.

Statues torn down

For years, statues and portraits of Chiang have been vandalised, relocated or removed.

According to the Taipei Times last year, there were about 966 statues remaining in public places when the independent Transitional Justice Commission was formed in 2018. The commission was tasked by President Tsai Ing-wen with investigating the martial law period, exonerating those convicted for political reasons, declassifying documents and removing symbols of authoritarianism.

See also: Decades after the White Terror, Taiwan struggles to come to terms with its painful past

Hundreds of monuments and statues were removed, and sites dedicated to Chiang were renamed across the now-democratic island.

The truth commission was dissolved in 2022, and its website remains blocked in Hong Kong.

The most controversial of the remaining tributes to the ex-leader is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. Last October, protesters called for its demolition, holding a banner reading: “Taiwan does not need a Dictator Memorial Hall,” state-backed CNA reported.

Campaigners want the site transformed into a public venue for the arts and entertainment, and a cabinet-level task force has sought ways to repurpose the hall. However, members have complained there is little political will.

The Republic of China (ROC) government has ruled Taiwan since 1945 after Japan was defeated in World War II, ending 50 years of occupation. The ROC authorities fully retreated to the island in 1949 as the communist People’s Republic of China (PRC) defeated them in the Civil War and took control of the mainland. Beijing has since claimed Taiwan is one of its provinces and has threatened to unify it by force if necessary, despite never ruling the island.

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