TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of the Interior aims to remove what it considers "symbols of authoritarianism" nationwide. It is offering a NT$100,000 subsidy for removing any Chiang Kai-shek or Chiang Ching-kuo statues. The ministry encourages schools, county, and city authorities to remove these statues.
According to tallies, there are over 900 bronze statues of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo in Taiwan. During former Interior Ministry Hsu Kuo-yung's term in office, the ministry allocated NT$11 million for this "removal" project.
At Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School, a Chiang Kai-shek statue still stands at the school's entrance. Although students see the statue every day when entering the campus, most do not regard this bronze statue as a "party-state brainwash."
One Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School student said: "We should keep it. It represents the open-mindedness of our students." Another added: "I will not see it as representing a specific ideology. I'm used to it. I have seen these statues since I was young. Why remove it? Just keep it."
According to Chuang Chih-chun, principal of Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School, "around two years ago, the school held a developmental meeting. The consensus was that we hope to keep the bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek on the campus. We can incorporate it as a topic in our curriculum teaching."
According to media reports, the Ministry of the Interior has yet to receive no applications since the NT＄100,000 subsidy project has taken effect.
