Taiwanese honor guards will no longer perform changing of the guard ceremonies around a giant statue of the island’s first president, Chiang Kai-shek, as part of a national effort to stop “worshiping authoritarianism.”.
Starting from July 15, the elaborate military performance will be moved outdoors to Taipei’s Democracy Boulevard, close to the capital’s iconic blue and white memorial hall dedicated to Chiang, which houses his 21-foot (6.3-metre) bronze statue.
“Eliminating worshiping a cult of personality and eliminating worshiping authoritarianism is the current goal for promoting transitional justice,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture said in a statement on Friday.
Generally lauded in life as an anti-communist hero, many in modern Taiwan revile Chiang as a despot who imprisoned and killed thousands of opponents during his rule.
Today, the country’s Transitional Justice Commission is investigating cases of political persecution that took place during the “white terror” campaign against dissent of Chiang’s rule.
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