Taiwan Church News 3788 Edition Sept 30 ~ Oct 6, 2024 Weekly Topical Taiwan Churches Learn Civilian Defense via Academia Formosana’s Ark Plan Reported by Lin Yi-ying The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) and Academia Formosana (AF) held the event of “Ark Plan – A Civil Defense Training Camp” at the William Shia Memorial Camp at Puli, Nantou County on September 24. President Lai Ching-te attended the entire event and encouraged the participants to work together to materialize the “Ark Plan”, hoping that Taiwanese people can help each other and stand up to protect the country, once our beautiful island encounters unexpected disasters or even China’s military blitz-aggression. At the first Meeting of Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee held at the Presidential Office Building on Sept 26th, president Lai especially thanked Rev. Chen Hsin-liang, general secretary of the PCT, and leaders of other civilian and religious groups for serving as members of the Committee. Remarkably, president Lai personally issued letters of appointment to each committee members. “As the president and commander-in-chief of Taiwan’s armed forces”, president Lai remarked, “he has the responsibility to protect Taiwan’s survival and development, defending national sovereignty, guarding the security of the people, developing the economy, and taking care of the people,” in the Civilian Defense Training Camp at William Shia Memorial Camp on Sept 24th. He emphasized that he firmly maintained that “Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China were not subservient to each other”, meaning that the sovereignty of Taiwan has nothing to do with China’s. In other words, he meant that Taiwan’s sovereignty could not be infringed or annexed by China, and more accurately said, only the 23 million residents in Taiwan could decide Taiwan’s future. President Lai said that the Presidential Office has established a “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee” that convenes meetings every three months to respond to Taiwan’s emergencies or natural disasters so that all people can play a role in protecting themselves, helping others, and maintaining social normalcy. He sincerely hoped that Taiwan society will unite and cooperate to protect Taiwan and prevent our beautiful homeland from being invaded or destroyed. In a brief to president Lai, Dr Samuel Morpheus, CEO of Academia Formosana (AF), reported that AF’s three major plans for Taiwan as “Ark Plan”, “Airbag Plan” and “Survival Plan”. Among them, Dr Morpheus said, “the Ark Plan cooperates with the PCT to equip its 1,300 churches across Taiwan as a strong logistics network for Taiwan’s civilian defense.” “Through routine trainings of civilian defense techniques,” Dr Morpheus stressed, “people gain the practical abilities via effective measures to help themselves, save lives, protect the environment of our treasured island, and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!” Together with Dr Morpheus, as well as the instructors from KM Special Tactical Armory (STA) and church pastors, president Lai personally participated in the drill of civilian defense training to experience the SKED rescue stretcher. Rev Sudu Tada, associate general secretary of the PCT, also personally acted as an injured citizen to cooperate with president Lai on the rolling-out of the rescue stretcher. Rescue stretchers are light in weight, easy to transport, can bear heavy loads. In addition, they can be widely used as first aid tool in emergency rescue. President Lai believes that the rescue stretcher is not only suitable for military and special search units, but also beneficial for civilian and community use. “Rev Chen Hsin-liang, the PCT general secretary, takes it very serious on the idea of Whole-of-Society defense resilience,” Rev Sudu Tada said, “so Rev Chen asks the PCT Indigenous Mission Committee to cooperate with Academia Formosana to hold the Ark Plan of civilian defense training camp.” Meanwhile, three indigenous PCT presbyteries, Tayal, Bunun and Ciubu, together with the Sediq Ethnic Assembly, were also invited to co-host the event according to Rev Sudu Tada. Academia Formosana is mainly responsible for the civilian defense training courses related to the “Ark Plan”. More than 150 pastors, including both Mr Pan Meng-an, secretary-general to the president and legislator Mrs Saidhai Tahovecahe accompanied president Lai to attend the civilian defense training courses. During president Lai’s personal operation of rescue stretcher and amid his conversations with the indigenous pastors, Rev Sudu Tada revealed that president Lai said: “Taiwan’s indigenous peoples are absolutely born in Taiwan and are definitely not any Chinese ethnic minorities as claimed by China.” “President Lai says, if there are Taiwanese aborigines who consider themselves to be Chinese ethnic minorities,” according to Rev Sudu Tada, “it’s really a pity!” Rev Watan Rakis, pastor of Mlipa Church of Tayal presbytery, responded that while indigenous pastors care about the faiths, cultures, and lives of the indigenous, they also endeavored to raise the indigenous’ awareness and proclaim Taiwan identity to call the indigenous become masters of Formosa. President Lai affirmed the thoughts of Rev Watan Rakis, and looked forward to these patriotic passions from Indigenous Taiwan could be implemented through the civilian training courses of the “Ark Plan” in near future. Translated by Peter Wolfe |