Amendments to the Civil Defense Mobilization Guidelines have received backlash for increasing the responsibilities for students ages 16 and up. The Ministry said on Tuesday the amendment's purpose is not to send young people to the frontlines but to strengthen the spirit of civil defense.
Some reports say Taiwan's civil defense units currently face structural issues, such as uneven funding and lack of guidance. The Defense Ministry says the guidelines have been amended twice, but they still require more systemic changes.
United Daily News says the Education Ministry plans to require students ages 16 and up to register in an online database for civil defense. The source says the students will have to help with first aid and weapon production during wartimes. However, the Education Ministry says the amendment is to strengthen the training program and students will not have to be at the frontlines.
The Defense Ministry says it's creating an online database for registration to better manage human resources. The ministry adds that this amendment will improve Taiwan's response to emergencies.
The Foreign Ministry says the Defense Ministry hopes people view this amendment with the goals of national security in mind. The ministry says it hopes people will not distort the amendments' intentions based on hearsay.