Wanan drill will not be held at night: defense authorities
ROC Central News Agency
Taipei, July 31 (CNA) An air raid drill, code named Wanan No. 31, that was originally scheduled to be held next Tuesday night in the northern Taiwan region will be staged in the daytime instead, according to a statement released by the National Defense Ministry (NDM) Spokesman Office Thursday.
The ministry said it will meet with relevant authorities and local governments Friday to discuss the proposed change and to set a new schedule for the exercise.
However, in principle, it will be rescheduled to take place in the daytime on Aug. 5, the statement said.
The drill was slated to be held in an area north of Hsinchu and Ilan counties between 10: 30 p.m. and 11 p.m. Aug. 5, but the time selected was has drawn criticism from many people, including Legislator Chai Trong-rong of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party.
Chai noted that the first-ever night-time drill would have required homes, shops, commercial buildings and night markets within the area to douse all lights and suspend all operations, with violators liable to be fined.
This is a reflection that the "the Cabinet is still living in a World War II era," he said.
Taiwan is not an authoritarian country, the lawmaker said, adding that the government should not turn off streetlight as this would spur safety and social order concerns. It also should not disrupt people's lives by forcing households to extinguish their lights at night, he said.
In response, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan gave a directive Thursday for the drill to be held in the day instead of at night to avoid disturbing the public.
The MND stated that out of respect for public opinion, the drill will be rescheduled to daytime hours, but it urged the public to cooperate in the exercise. (By Elizabeth Hsu)
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