Taiwan’s
Defence Minister Kao Hua-chu resigned over the death of a national service man
who was punished for having a mobile phone with a camera.
‘Hung Chung-chiu's death sparked an outcry on the island, with thousands of protesters demanding an investigation.’ BBC. The tradition of Confucianist honour and accountability is still prevalent in Taiwan and the Minister Defence found it honourable and responsible to take the full blame for the death of the soldier. It has to be as the death was too big an issue to be swept under the carpet or to pass the buck down to the junior officers. To have a senior military officer to take the fallout was also found unacceptable. Only the Defence Minister was fit and appropriate to shoulder such a responsibility.
In today’s context, when children are sparse and few, and national service is a compulsion, not voluntary or an occupation, the seriousness of the death of a national service man is more pronounced and glaring. The parents sent their sons to be trained to defend the country, to die fighting for the country, not to die through negligence or abuse by his officers, or uncalled for accidents and mistakes.
The ministers or military officers of Taiwan are not paid outrageously well. To them, public service is an honour itself. And they take their jobs seriously and honourably and will own up and accept responsibility when it is due. It is not a case of collecting big bucks but with no responsibility or no accountability to failures or mistakes of their subordinates.
Say what you like, there is honour in the man (the Defence Minister) and honour in the service. Kao Hua-chu’s resignation brought respect to himself and to the Taiwanese govt. No matter how high is the position, no one escapes and can hope to walk away by patting his backside as if nothing happens when a serious mistake or failure occurred. High office and big pay must come with great responsibility and accountability. How nice if one can be sitting in high office, collecting big bucks and no need to be accountable for any failure or mistake.
RB
ReplyDeleteI like what you said:
"The parents sent their sons to be trained to defend the country, to die fighting for the country, not to die through negligence or abuse by his officers, or uncalled for accidents and mistakes."
It must be the basic duty of any commander to treat every trainee with care.
There no excuse whatsoever of any accidental injuries or death through negligence or abuse!
In Singapore, every 5 years, at least 60% say PAP is responsible and accountable enough to continue to rule for another 5 years.
ReplyDeleteThis is what really matters.
So who are the rest to question and compare? And does it really matter?
Well said, RB...
ReplyDelete"It must be the basic duty of any commander to treat every trainee with care."
ReplyDeleteAnon August 31, 2013 10:10 am
Be that as it may, but no one, and no matter who or what they are, can guarantee zero incidents. Only God can.
So pray that you or your love ones not be one of the incident statistics.
84sonaatsIs there a possibility that chicken sh*t will resign?
ReplyDeleteanon 10.28am .......
ReplyDeleteOf course no one can assure 100% injuries free.
But the point here is all commanders must truly treat all trainees with care not just digits under them.....
...all commanders must truly treat all trainees with care not just digits under them.....
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:55 am
In theory yes, in practice very difficult lah.
Unless it is a "white horse" lah.
It's like that one lah. And there's nothing much you or I can do about it, unless no need to do NS lah, like those foreign talents.
Relac lah everyone.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the military is a dangerous business. You don't need a war to be killed. Accidents and events dues to negligence or mistreatment are bound to occur. Sometimes you get accountability -- if you are lucky, and other times you don't. It is a matter of LUCK (or if you're not math-challenged: PROBABILITY).
The fucking trainee should not have brought in his camera phone in the first place. Idiot. Consider his removal from the human gene pool as part of The Darwin Awards
Anyway, take a chill pill motherfuckers, the SAF is now allowing camera phones. However if you're going to get punished, in most military organisations around the world, be prepared to kena tekan until you drop, vomit blood or pass out -- especially if you are a low ranking shit-kicker (aka "canon fodder).
You want answers? You can't handle the truth!
"But the coroner said patients must bring up relevant information for medical screenings to be effective, pointing out that it is “hard to accept” that doctors have to conduct further screenings for every enlistee."
ReplyDelete"The Buck Stops Here"
ReplyDeleteWe are not very hot on this culture thingy. In fact, it's
"The Buck Stops Anywhere But Here".
That's why folks, we are called the people of a pisai.
According to my PAP friends;
ReplyDeleteActually hor, the PAP Ministers make huge sacrifices for Singaporeans.
In exchange for a million dollar salary, they lose their privacy and anonymity because they now live in bungalows guarded by Gurkhas.
Because their salaries come from Singapore taxpayers, everything they do comes under scrutiny.
They buy Brompton bicycles, they kena question.
They buy designer office chairs, they kena question.
They spend $300 million dollars too much on fun and games, they kena question.
They speak broken English, they kena question.
They dress up like Zorro or Cleopatra, they kena question.
life is very difficult for a PAP Minister and their grassroots leaders you know.
Rb, I think in sinkie land very difficult lar as I remembered some one said here talent limited. If every time something big happen, the minister has to resign then no more talent to be selected for minister leh. Therefore here, did die whatever minister here can not resign for sake of sinkie lar. Some more 60% agreed anyway as each year only a few guys dies and they all hope is not their kids so none of their business lor. Tio Bo?
ReplyDeleteTrue! In military training, accident can happen. Flying in airliner, accident can happen. Staying in a hospital to seek cure and health, accident can also happens.
ReplyDeleteSo is being a prisoner.
Just call mishaps as accidents, why hold anyone responsible?
Life is cheap and expandable in "fill in the blank". (Not allowed to say).
ReplyDeleteHung Chung-chiu's death sparked an outcry on the island, with thousands of protesters demanding an investigation.’ RB
ReplyDeleteWas there thousands of protesters here demanding an investigation into the death of our NS man Pte Dominique Sarron Lee? No right?
Conversely, had it not for the thousands of protesters would the Taiwan Minister resign? No right?
Some people are always right. So easy to side with the 'boss'. Right?
ReplyDeleteHence he who laugh last, didn't hear the bosses' joke.
Not allowed to protest leh. Wait police catch.
ReplyDeleteSince no one protest, it means its ok lar, Tio Bo?sinkie are like that lor if don't affect them not their business mah. That is why every time some one kena, only the family protest the rest keep quiet and pray their lucky star not them lor
ReplyDeleteTio Bo brigade at it AGAIN. This time blaming fellow citizens. Disgusting. Bo.
ReplyDeleteSo folks in this island can copulate with their mothers. Thanks for this bit of information Inche Mati. But same sex union is still not allowed, right?
ReplyDeleteRB, The pappies will give you another theory. Ordinary NSman's life is cheap, ministers' life is precious. Ministers are rare talents leh, sacrifice them means no more talent in govt, so how can ? Die die must preserve these talents, must pay them millions to keep them happy, soldiers die never mind
ReplyDeleteActually, it's neber mye.
ReplyDeleteActually hor.
ReplyDeleteMy PAP friends tell me.
In Singapore, we only have one responsibility.
And that is to preserve the vision of LKY.
Dat wat I nid too pap frens. How to find?
ReplyDelete6.09 pm, if u got nothing better to say, don't post rubbish comment lar and waste people time. If you got balls, then be a man and talk sense or did u check your two tiny still with u or ot?
ReplyDeleteTio Bo. Hee hee.
ReplyDeleteParents took great care to bring up a young man for 18 years. Send him for NS. Within 2 years, he was returned to his parents, dead.
ReplyDeleteDrafted not sent. Huge difference.
ReplyDeleteIf people keep on voting for the same ruling party, all the nasty policies implemented by this ruling party will not change and this include the stupid military thingy. In today era, are people still so silly to believe that military forces are there to protect own country and family? I bet there are still many silly people around.
ReplyDelete