It was the first time an ROC president paid homage to the spirits of more than 56,000 members of the Chinese Expeditionary Force who died fighting the Japanese in the then British colony of Burma between 1942 and 1945.
During the commemoration, an 18-minute video about the recent return of the spirits of these service members was played. A wooden plaque symbolizing the spirits of soldiers buried in the northern Myanmar city Myitkyina was escorted by military personnel Aug. 27 to a new resting place at the shrine.
According to Presidential Office spokeswoman Ma Wei-kuo, the president instructed the documentary be made to honor the bravery of these service members. “The sacrifices and contributions of the armed forces are vital to the survival and development of the ROC.”
The commemoration was attended by Sun Tianping and Liu Wei-min, the sons of Gen. Sun Li-jen and Col. Liu Fang-wu, respectively, who played a crucial role in the April 1942 Battle of Yenangyaung during which ROC forces rescued about 7,000 British forces and 500 allied civilians from encirclement by the Japanese.
The spokeswoman said the battle made the Allies see the ROC forces in a different light. It also allowed late President Chiang Kai-shek to attend the 1943 Cairo Conference at which the Cairo Declaration was issued stating: “All the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, including Manchuria, Formosa and the Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China.” (SSC-SDH)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw