TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) Memorial Hall in Taipei will soon no longer have an honor guard standing at attention underneath its large statue of the former dictator.

CNA reported on Friday that sources familiar with the matter said the honor guard will soon be removed and will relocate to Democracy Boulevard, the area directly in front of the memorial hall. The change is being made as part of Taiwan’s ongoing transitional justice efforts that seek to redress past human rights abuses.

No timeframe has been set for the change, but the Ministry of National Defense has reportedly agreed with the Ministry of Culture’s suggestion to move the troops outside the hall. Officially named the Republic of China Honor Guard, the brigade is made up of troops from the defense ministry’s land, air, and sea forces, while Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is managed by the culture ministry.

At present, members of the honor guard stand at attention inside the hall during opening hours and perform a changing of the guard each hour. As the changing of the guard has become a tourist attraction, it will still take place following the relocation. 

Historians have estimated that Chiang was responsible for the deaths of 1.5 million innocent people during his time as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC), both in China and in Taiwan. He oversaw a period of martial law in Taiwan that lasted for nearly 40 years and resulted in the disappearance, imprisonment, and death of tens of thousands of Taiwanese.

Many statues commemorating the former leader have been removed from Taiwan’s schools and public squares in recent years. Many have ended up in the Cihu Memorial Sculpture Park, near Chiang’s resting place, instead of being destroyed.