Civilian new head of Taiwan’s turmoil-hit defense agency
Print Edition
Taiwan yesterday named a civilian to head its defense agency that is struggling to attract recruits and facing protests over the heat-stroke death of a soldier in a military brig.
Andrew Yang, 58, was previously deputy defense director and replaces Kao Hua-chu, who resigned yesterday. The appointment was announced without describing the reasons for Kao’s departure.
Yang’s appointment follows the death on July 3 of a soldier who was being punished for carrying a cellphone on base.
University graduate Hung Chung-chiu, 24, died after being forced to perform rigorous calisthenics in sweltering heat. He was three days from completing his service requirement.
Hung’s family said he was repeatedly refused water during the punishment, despite being close to collapse, and that he had previously filed complaints about other abuse meted out by his superiors.
Both Kao and Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou have apologized for the tragedy, vowing to punish those responsible.
Four military officials have been detained on abuse charges in connection to Hung’s death, and punitive measures have been taken against another 26.
Kao offered to step down earlier this month, but at the time Ma rejected his offer.
Prior to Yang’s nomination as deputy defense director in 2009, he was secretary-general of a Taipei think tank concentrating on military affairs. He has close ties with top Pentagon officials.
Yang inherits a defense agency beset by turmoil, struggling to attract enough recruits to complete a conversion to an all-volunteer army by 2015.
The defense authority wants to phase out its decades-old compulsory 12 months of service by the end of 2015, replacing it with four months of military training for men aged over 20.
The government hopes volunteers will then enlist for a longer period of military service, making for a better trained, more highly skilled military.
But Colonel Hu Chung-shih, who is responsible for the initiative, admitted recently that “the Hung case will surely have negative impacts on the plan.”
Taiwan has around 275,000 service personnel among a population of 23 million, down from a peak of 600,000.
In the six months to June the military recruited 1,847 people — 31 percent of its target of 5,887. The defense authority planned to recruit 17,447 before the end of February next year.
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