More than 56,000 ROC army soldiers killed in present-day Myanmar during World War II were honored in a ceremony Aug. 27 at National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine in Taipei City.
Many of the Chinese Expeditionary Force members died fighting the Japanese in the then British colony of Burma between 1942 and 1945. The wooden plaque symbolizing the spirits of the service members buried in the northern Myanmar city Miyitkyina was escorted to its new resting place by ROC military personnel.
Minister of National Defense Yen Ming presided over the ceremony, leading attendees in welcoming the spirits of the fallen and paying respects for their sacrifice in safeguarding the nation.
Following a proposal by three Kuomintang legislators in May, the ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, as well as the Overseas Community Affairs Council, formed a task force to retrieve the souls from Myitkyina Aug. 24.
Among those who died in the campaign were officers and soldiers led by General Sun Li-jen (1900-1990). They launched successful military actions protecting the Burma Road, an important supply route linking southwest China with upper Burma. The troops’ contribution in fighting the Japanese helped ensure the continued survival of the ROC.
This is the third time nation has honored members of the military killed overseas. Similar ceremonies were conducted in 2000 and 2009, respectively, for those who fell in India and lost their lives while toiling as forced laborers in Papua New Guinea. (SSC-SDH)
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