KMT accuses Taiwan government of erasing Chiang Kai-shek after army hall renamed

Taiwan’s army has renamed the main auditorium of its headquarters in what is widely seen as another move by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to erase the legacy of late Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek and the island’s historical ties to mainland China.

The auditorium, known for decades as Chiang Kai-shek Hall, has been retitled Loyalty Hall, according to the Army Command Headquarters.

The change sparked uproar from opposition lawmakers, who accused the government of quietly removing Chiang’s name before the change was officially revealed recently.

In response, the command said the renaming was completed in July as part of a broader plan to “highlight the army’s ethos of loyalty and excellence”, coinciding with upgrades to facilities at its base in Taoyuan in northern Taiwan. It said the decision carried “no political intention”.

Addressing criticism that the move formed part of the DPP’s transitional justice campaign to “de-Chiang” military sites, army officials told local media that “the bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek at the entrance to the headquarters remains in place”. They added that Chiang held an important place in the history of Taiwan’s armed forces and in the development of the Republic of China (ROC), the island’s official title for itself.

  

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