Veterans gather as Taiwan marks Japan’s second world war defeat
Old soldiers gather for a first military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary as the island vies with Beijing over wartime history
War veterans gathered yesterday for Taiwan’s first military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the second world war as the island vies with Beijing over the conflict’s history.
Jet fighters and attack helicopters flew past in formation as President Ma Ying-jeou spoke to the thousands gathered at a military base in Hsinchu county on the Kuomintang (KMT) government’s role in the conflict.
The crowd gave a thundering applause as jeeps carrying more than 20 veterans, displaying victory signs, paraded past surrounded by trucks carrying ground troops and missiles, as well as tanks.
“There was only one truth: the war battling Japan was mostly conducted by the government of the Republic of China [Taiwan’s official title], thanks to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek,” Ma said.
“This must not be distorted and tampered. We do not want to boast about the victory, rather we want to prevent war... Only in this way can we learn the lesson from history in a correct way.”
“We are here not to show off our victory, but to prevent wars. We are here not to promote enmity, but to denounce military aggression,” he said.