Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) spoke to the Legislature this Wednesday regarding moving the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall guard changing ceremony to the adjacent outdoor plaza called “Liberty Square.” Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠) also spoke regarding the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act and hundreds of controversial Chiang Kai-shek statues that remain across Taiwan.
Moving the honor guard drills is the first of three resolutions made by the Legislature’s task force dedicated to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall transformation in 2023. The next step would include closing the doors on the building that has memorialized Chiang Kai-shek for the past 40 years, instead converting it into a site dedicated to national human rights.
Koo said coordination to move the honor guard to Liberty Square for drills is nearly complete. KMT Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) pointed out that some guard members have fainted in the past, and brought up concerns about the extreme temperatures and rain the members would be subject to if the drills were to take place outdoors. Li responded by saying that the change still needs to be submitted to the Legislature’s relevant council, therefore the decision has not yet been finalized.
Li provided additional comments regarding the controversial six-meter tall statue of Chiang Kai-shek that sits inside his memorial hall. Protestors have called for its demolition over the past years, with some banners reading “Taiwan does not need a Dictator Memorial Hall” in reference to Chiang Kai-shek’s past that includes arrests, imprisonments, torture, and executions for real or perceived opposition to the KMT’s rule during Taiwan’s martial law period. Li acknowledged that countries that have experienced authoritarian rule and fascism and don’t handle issues with monuments and buildings properly end up further hurting vulnerable ethnic groups.
Li said he will try to handle this situation carefully with the aim of turning a new page—overturning history without letting it be forgotten. Meanwhile, around 760 statues of Chiang Kai-shek remain in public places across Taiwan.