TAIWAN POW CAMPS MEMORIAL SOCIETY IN THE NEWS . . .

     The Taiwan POW Camps Memorial Society has received a lot of very good coverage and publicity in the media in the past several months.
     In September, when we discovered the site of the former Heito Camp, the LIBERTY TIMES - a major Chinese language newspaper went national with the story and photo as reported by a local PingTung reporter. The TAIWAN TIMES, another Chinese paper, also gave us coverage in its southern Taiwan edition.
     In early November when we made a return visit to the Heito Camp, once again the LIBERTY TIMES ran a half-page story with photos in its national edition. FORMOSA TELEVISION - one of the “big 4” in Taiwan, was also there and produced a feature TV story subsequent to our visit.
     The TAIWAN NEWS, one of the island’s three English language papers, covered the story of the dedication of the Kukutsu Memorial with articles and photos on two pages by feature writer Steven Crook, and once again the LIBERTY TIMES - Taipei Branch also covered the story nationally with a lovely photo and writeup.
      In late December the CHINA TIMES WEEKLY - a magazine with the largest weekly circulation in the ROC, ran a 5-page spread with story and photos of the Society and its program to find the Taiwan POW camps and to remember the men who suffered so much at the hands of the Japanese here during the Second World War.
      As this issue goes to press, a Taipei Times (English language paper) feature writer is currently working on another article, and TTV (Taiwan Television - national TV) is planning a half hour special to explore more of the POWs’ story.
      We are very grateful for all the support being shown by the Taiwan media in the POWs’ story. With their help - and your continued support, more of the story WILL be told, thus helping to fulfill our aims and objectives!

NEW MEMORIALS !!!

--- “TAIWAN POW CAMPS MEMORIAL SOCIETY - HOPING TO PLACE MEMORIALS AT TWO MORE POW CAMPS”. . . an update -

     As we told you in our last issue, the TPCMS has been negotiating with government officials and local residents in the hopes of placing POW Memorial stones at both the former POW camps of Taichu - south of Taichung City, and Kukutsu - near Taipei.
     As you know from reading this issue, the Kukutsu Memorial was erected and dedicated this past November 20, so that completes one part.
     Negotiations are still ongoing with the authorities at Taichung, and our feeling is that things are going well and it is expected that the memorial stone will be approved very soon.
     The Society has also given some serious thought to erecting a memorial just outside the military base which is the present sight of the former Heito Camp. There has been considerable interest and support from our friends in the south of Taiwan, and so we are looking seriously at going ahead with this project sometime this year.
      However, as mentioned in our last newsletter, the memorial stones cost around NT$10,500.00 each, and funds are urgently needed to pay for them. Thanks to the generous donations of several of our supporters, the Kukutsu Memorial has been paid for already, but we would ask for your help as we try to raise the funds to pay for the next two. We need YOUR support to help with this worthwhile cause!
      We are appealing to all those who are interested in helping to remember and honour the former POWs to donate just NT$1000 each (about US$35.00); then the job can be completed. This is a great opportunity for those who really care about the POWs to share in the cost of the memorials. Donations may be sent to the Society c/o our mailing address - please send by registered mail.
     For further information please contact us by phone, fax or email. Thank you for your care and consideration of this matter, and we look forward to your support to see these projects completed.