Subsidies up to NT$100,000 for the removal of authoritarian relics

2022-12-12

Lawmakers on Monday questioned members of the Executive Yuan on a new subsidy program to remove authoritarian symbols in Taiwan. The Ministry of the Interior on Nov. 28 finalized a budget offering up to NT$100,000 for the removal of each statue of former leaders Chiang Kai-shek or Chiang Ching-kuo. It also covers things such as name changes to institutions that carry authoritarian connotations.

Statues of Chiang Kai-shek across Taiwan continue dotting the island. Back in November, the Ministry of the Interior earmarked a budget offering subsidies to local government institutions and public schools to remove authoritarian symbols. That includes up to NT$100,000 for the removal of statues of former leaders Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo.

Wang Mei-hui
DPP lawmaker
A subsidy of NT$100,000, what do you think?

Lo Ping-cheng
Executive Yuan spokesperson
As you’ve mentioned, there are authoritarian symbols in schools to take care of. It’s only been half a year since the interior ministry assumed responsibility of this matter, so whether by providing subsidies or moving the statues elsewhere, all that will be undertaken at the interior ministry’s discretion.

The subsidies are available to local governments, schools and NGOs for things such as removing authoritarian relics or undergoing a name change. Currently, there are more than 1,000 statues of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo in the country, and the removal of each statue is eligible for a subsidy of up to NT$100,000. The subsidy program had been enacted Nov. 28, but not all members of the public think the statues should be removed.

Member of public
Young people today rather dislike him, so I think it’s better to remove his statues.

Member of public
They’re like antiquities, no need for removal.

Cheng Yun-peng
DPP lawmaker
The key to successfully implementing transitional justice in Taiwan is not money. Rather, it’s public opinion, whether it supports and accepts transitional justice or not. So I think this has to be done through education. Once everyone has a good understanding of democracy and Taiwan’s history with authoritarianism, then the statues celebrating autocracy will gradually disappear from our lives.

Hsu Chih-chieh
DPP lawmaker
Lowering the costs to institutions should be helpful in promoting the removal of authoritarian symbols. I hope our education can emphasize anti-authoritarianism, so that it takes root in the hearts of people. Only that can prevent an authoritarian regime from taking over again.

Taiwan’s government continues working to find ways to deal with its autocratic past and implement transitional justice.

落實轉型正義清除威權象徵鼓勵拆除兩蔣銅像最高補助10萬

2022-12-12

為了鼓勵地方政府和學校已移除或改名的方式，處理威權象徵，像是兩蔣銅像，內政部計畫，每件補助最高金額十萬元。有立委認為避免威權復辟一定有幫助，但也有人強調，錢不是重點，重點是民意的溝通。

爭議許久的蔣介石銅像移除問題，至今討論不休，內政部編列預算，鼓勵地方政府和學校，清除威權象徵，包括兩蔣銅像，每件最高10萬元。

[[立委(民) 王美惠]]
“現在補助10萬元，你覺得這種作法怎樣”

[[行政院發言人羅秉成]]
“像委員說的，學校有一些威權象徵也要處理，內政部負責到現在因為才半年，提出計畫要補助也好，要遷移也好，由內政部去規劃處理”

根據內政部推動威權象徵處置補助作業要點，補助對象包括地方政府、學校及民間團體，補助範圍包括移除、改名處置公共場所的紀念緬懷威權統治者象徵，其中就包括上千座兩蔣銅像。最高可以補助10萬元，今年11月28日已經生效，不過到底拆還是不拆，民眾意見兩極。

[[民眾]]
“現在年輕人對他比較反感，所以我覺得拆除會比較好一點”

[[民眾]]
“那個好像是古蹟啦!也不用拆啦!”

[[立委(民) 鄭運鵬]]
“轉型正義，台灣最需要的並不是錢，而是民意上面能不能支持跟接受。所以我希望說，我們應該從教育著手，大家對於民主的觀念，對於過去威權統治，大家有正確的觀念之後，銅像威權的象徵，應該可以慢慢從我們生活上把它拿掉”

[[立委(民) 許智傑]]
“減少機關的成本，對於推動威權移除效果一定會有幫助，希望能加深反威權的教育，深植人民心中，才能避免威權復辟”

轉型正義不能停，但如何落實，還在考驗政府智慧。