Taiwan to Remove Statues of Chiang Kai-Shek
The Taiwanese government has announced plans to remove nearly 800 statues of Chiang Kai-Shek, the Chinese military dictator who ruled Taiwan for decades under martial law.
Background
In 2018, Taipei established a transitional justice committee to investigate Chiang Kai-Shek’s rule and legacy. The committee recommended the removal of thousands of statues of the former generalissimo from public spaces.
Government Response
Cabinet official Shih Pu stated that the ministry of interior would remove the 760 remaining statues, addressing criticism that the government was not acting swiftly enough.
Debate Over Statues
Taiwan has long been divided over the presence of Chiang Kai-Shek statues, with many now located in a park in northern Taipei. The defense ministry has cited military tradition as a reason to keep some statues, as Chiang also played a role in founding Taiwan’s military training academies.
Chiang Kai-Shek fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese civil war, establishing the Republic of China government in exile. His rule was marked by martial law and widespread human rights abuses, with thousands of individuals imprisoned or executed for opposing the regime.