Taiwan's High Prosecutors Indict Retired General Kao An-kuo for Alleged Pro-China Activities
Taiwan's High Prosecutors Indict Retired General Kao An-kuo
In Taipei, Taiwan, the High Prosecutors' Office has indicted retired army lieutenant general Kao An-kuo and five others. They are accused of forming an organization to assist China in case of a military invasion. The defendants are charged with violating the National Security Act and have been sent to the Taiwan High Court, which has detained them without outside contact.
Allegations Against Kao An-kuo
After retiring, Kao founded the pro-unification group "Republic of China Taiwan Military Government." In 2019, he was allegedly recruited by Chinese intelligence, along with a military spokesperson named Hou and a woman named Liu. Prosecutors claim Hou and Liu received financial support from China to build armed groups in Taiwan. The defendants reportedly received over 9.62 million New Taiwan dollars from China.
Prosecutors' Demands
Prosecutors are seeking sentences of at least 10 years for Kao and eight years for Liu, citing threats to national security. Other defendants face sentences from three years and five months to over eight years.
Additional Indictments
In December, four former military personnel were indicted for selling state secrets to China. These individuals, surnamed Lai, Lee, Lin, and Chen, have been detained. They allegedly took photos of classified documents and recruited soldiers to spy for China.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan
Taiwan is an island located in East Asia, near China. It has its own government and operates like an independent country, but China claims it as part of its territory.
High Prosecutors
High Prosecutors are important lawyers in Taiwan who work for the government. They investigate and charge people who are suspected of breaking the law.
Indict
To indict someone means to formally accuse them of a crime. It is a legal process where the prosecutors say they have enough evidence to take the person to court.
Retired General
A retired general is a high-ranking military officer who has stopped working in the military. They have usually served for many years and have a lot of experience.
Pro-China Activities
Pro-China activities refer to actions that support or favor China, especially in political or military matters. In this context, it means helping China in ways that might not be good for Taiwan.
National Security Act
The National Security Act is a law in Taiwan that protects the country from threats like spying or helping other countries in ways that could harm Taiwan.
Detained
Detained means being held by the police or authorities. It is when someone is not allowed to leave because they are suspected of doing something wrong.
Financial Support
Financial support means giving money to help someone or something. In this case, it refers to China allegedly giving money to people in Taiwan to help them with certain activities.
State Secrets
State secrets are important information that a government keeps hidden to protect the country. Sharing these secrets with other countries can be very dangerous.
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