Tell-Tale Journal: Chiang Kai-Shek Offered in Sacrifice at Chen’s Altar

News Analysis

Tell-Tale Journal: Chiang Kai-Shek Offered in Sacrifice at Chen’s Altar

Sources: Loh I-cheng

December 6, 2007

President Chen Shui-bian and Education Minister Tu Cheng-sheng insist on spending NT$ 1.8 million of public funds on the removal of the plaque bearing the Chinese characters of "Ta Chung Chih Cheng" on the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Main Gate. "Ta Chung Chih-cheng" is a reference to another name of late President Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Chung-cheng. I cannot think of any other reason for this, save perhaps to consolidate the support of deep-Green fundamentalists for the upcoming elections. While most people expect tension and chaos, hardly anyone seems able to take off their Blue or Green-tinted glasses and look at the situation objectively.

The cover story of the July 10 issue of Yazhou Zhoukan (literally "Asia Weekly") published in Hong Kong features the views of a varity of historians from Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan following their repeated visits to the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, where they read from the personal journal of Chiang. The historians, despite their different backgrounds and political stances, all agreed that the journal provides a true and accurate account of historical events as opposed to the official versions given by the Chinese Nationalist Party or the Chinese Communist Party.

In light of such revelations, both the history of China and the history of Taiwan in the past five decades would have to be reassessed or even rewritten. Take the 228 Incident as an example. Chiang was completely nescient of the situation in Taiwan at the time, being too busy with the Chinese Civil War. Chiang spelled out his disappointment with Chen Yi, then Taiwan Provincial Governor, in his journal, adding that the unfortunate event was a direct result of “incompetence on the part of government officials.” Chiang later ordered subordinates to “take out the mastermind only, leave the innocent people alone.” Now that the truth has been uncovered in Chiang’s journal, why is it that no one in the DPP knows about it? Maybe some of them are too scared to speak out? Even DPP Presidential candidate Frank Hsieh, who likes to put on the face of Mr. Fairness in public, is now speaking utter nonsense and distorting the truth. Makes people wonder why.

Attachment : none