TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Army battalion commander has been disciplined after screening a Chinese propaganda film at the same base where a company commander allegedly bullied a Taiwanese-Japanese conscript.
DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu raised concerns that, within the same month at Yilan County’s Jinliujie Camp, a company commander surnamed Wen (溫) had already been removed from his post and referred for prosecution on public insult charges for verbally abusing a dual-nationality conscript, per CNA. He said another incident had since emerged involving a senior officer openly screening the film “The Eight Hundred.”
Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said he was aware of the matter and confirmed that the battalion commander had ordered the screening. Army Chief of Staff Chen Chien-yi (陳建義) said the officer saw scenes featuring the Republic of China flag and national anthem and mistakenly deemed it suitable, “not realizing it was packaged as CCP United Front propaganda intended to blur the distinction between friend and foe and sow division,” CNA reported.
Chen said both the earlier incident involving Wen and the film screening were deemed isolated after investigation. The battalion commander who ordered the screening has been issued two reprimands.
Army Command Headquarters Political Warfare Department head Major General Shih Shun-wen (史順文) said irregularities are investigated by security and counterintelligence units, according to CNA. He added that films or instructional materials should normally be reviewed in advance by a brigade-level political warfare director.
Such reviews are typically conducted the day before during a political education session. However, this film did not undergo the required review.
Koo said he has instructed the military to strengthen ideological education and conduct a comprehensive review of relevant regulations and issues involving improper leadership and discipline.
