Chief of General Staff Yen Ming named Taiwan's next defense minister
ROC Central News Agency
2013/08/07 17:58:59
Taipei, Aug. 7 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou announced Wednesday that Gen. Yen Ming, Chief of the General Staff, will take over as Taiwan's defense minister.
Yen will officially assume his new position on Thursday, said Ma, who serves concurrently as chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, during a meeting of the party's Central Standing Committee.
Yen will be the second defense minister to take office within a week, filling the post left vacant by Andrew Yang, who resigned Tuesday amid accusations that another scholar's work had been plagiarized in part of a 2007 book he compiled.
Yang, a former deputy minister, had only been in the ministry's top post since Aug. 1, when then-Minister Kao Hua-chu stepped down amid controversy over the death of an Army corporal who was allegedly abused by his superiors.
The incident led to a massive protest on Aug. 3 which saw over 100,000 people take to the streets to demand justice for the deceased corporal and better protection of human rights in the military.
Speaking directly on the controversy, Ma said that the changes it has brought, including the amendment passed by the Legislature that will put military servicemen into civilian courtrooms for prosecution, help to boost public confidence in the military and trust in the judiciary.
The military needs to maintain morale and confidence within its ranks all while conducting reforms, he said, expressing concern that some criticisms have 'gone a bit overboard' and paint an unfair picture of the majority of military personnel, who he said are by and large committed in their duty to protect the country.
Ma urged the public to keep in mind the military's contribution to peace and security, saying that the military's presence is what has saved Taiwan from the threat of war over the past 60 years.
(By Lee Shu-hua and Y.F. Low)
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