TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Soldiers from Matsu’s Defense Command have made their complaints public about substandard food rations.
Writing in the sand on a local beach that meals are canned food with no meat options, their complaints attracted the attention of legislators, who expressed concern about the lack of fresh food supply, especially during times of escalating cross-strait tensions, per UDN.
Matsu residents also chimed in, noting that complaints about the high price of eggs by many Taiwan citizens are nothing new to those living in Matsu who lack access to most grocery supplies and are accustomed to inflated food prices.
Juguang Township Mayor Chen Leli (陳樂禮) confirmed food shortages are due to rising transport costs as the number of cargo ships servicing the area has been halved. He appealed to the central government for help, per UDN.
Chen said the county government previously subsidized the delivery of food and materials to Juguang, though these funds have been cut. He called for reinstatement of such aid to assist cargo ships delivering food and materials to the area.
Army Command Headquarter said on Sunday night (March 5) that a cargo ship leased to Matsu’s Juguang military base has completed repairs in the past two days. It added that a meat shortage does indeed exist at a Juguang market, with troops having no choice but to eat canned food for two days.
A soldier stationed in Matsu posted in a Whistleblower’s Commune Facebook group that said the cargo ship had not been operational for a month, claiming some soldiers felt deprived of food and felt a sense of abandonment by the Ministry of National Defense (MND).
KMT Legislator Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生) said the MND should have taken measures to ensure Matsu's food supplies. Chen pledged to ask Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-chen (邱國正) such questions during an appearance before the Legislature’s Foreign and Defense Committee on Monday (March 6).
