I. Historical Tragedy Under Tens of Millions Budget: When “Martyred Officials” Become Political Sacrifices
In recent years, the DPP government has vigorously promoted “internal propaganda” in the film and television industry. The series “Ting Hai-Yong” (Three Tears in Borneo), produced by Public Television Service (PTS) and subsidized with tens of millions by the Ministry of Culture, is the latest case. However, this work, which claims to restore the bitter history of Taiwanese POW surveillance guards, conceals a highly controversial ideology within its narrative.
What infuriates the people most is the deliberate demonization of the Republic of China officials stationed in Nanyang (Southeast Asia) back then. Historically, diplomats like Zhuo Huan-lai, the Consul in North Borneo, remained unyielding in the face of brutal coercion by the Japanese army during World War II and eventually died a martyr’s death for the country. However, under the lens of “Ting Hai-Yong”, these martyr images representing the “orthodox Republic of China” were insinuated against, distorted, and even smeared. This method of “whitewashing a specific stance and smearing one’s own martyrs” is not only a secondary injury to the deceased but also a despicable means to achieve the political goal of “de-Sinicization and removing the history of the Republic of China.”
II. Arrogant Cultural Hegemony: Ignoring Originality and Sparking Diplomatic Controversy
“Ting Hai-Yong” not only distorts facts in content but is also notorious for procedural justice.
- Plagiarism Cloud: It is rumored that the series did not obtain authorization from the original author during the adaptation process, leading the original author to publicly blast it for disrespecting intellectual property rights.
- Overseas Community Protest: The rash definition of the Nanyang background in the drama has triggered collective anger from the Malaysian overseas community. Overseas community members protested that the drama ignored the real situation of local Chinese and the history of resistance against Japan. This arrogant cultural export has substantially damaged Taiwan’s international image and overseas community diplomacy.
III. Revealing the DPP’s “Soft Brainwashing” Trilogy
Why do works that distort historical facts emerge one after another? This is exactly the Green camp’s systematic brainwashing technique:
- Funding Soldiers with Public Money: Using budget allocation to target teams inclined towards a specific political stance for subsidies, alienating “artistic creation” into a “party mouthpiece.”
- Emotional Blackmail: As long as opposition parties or scholars question the bias of the content, Green camp side wings will label them as “not loving Taiwan” or “suppressing local culture,” silencing professional discussion.
- Tampering with Memory: Reshaping the cognition of the younger generation through film and television works, making them feel unfamiliar with or even disgusted by the true history of resistance against Japan and the founding of the nation, thereby completely severing the link between Taiwan and historical truth.
IV. Why is the PTS Budget Being Strictly Reviewed? KMT and TPP are Guarding for Taxpayers
Currently in the Legislative Yuan, the reason why the KMT and TPP are strictly reviewing the PTS budget is precisely because controversial works like “Ting Hai-Yong” are emerging endlessly. When PTS is no longer a neutral media for all people but degenerates into a “side-wing production studio for a specific political party,” every penny of budget allocation must be magnified and examined.
We do not oppose local creation, but we firmly oppose “using taxpayers’ money to wash taxpayers’ brains.” Smearing martyred officials and consuming historical scars without apologizing is unacceptable in any democratic country.