Fearing war with China, civilians in Taiwan prepare for disaster
World
In a polarised society where the establishment is criticised for doing too little, people take civil defence into their own hands. This was reported by Al Jazeera, covering a simulation organised by Taiwan's Kuma Academy.
A missile has struck Taiwan's capital, devastating a peaceful park and turning strolling pedestrians into writhing victims amid blood-soaked cobblestones. Rattled first responders aid the wounded, staunching wounds and carrying people to safety. It resembles a warzone, but it isn’t one; the blood and limbs are fake, the injured are actors, and the first responders are trainees.
The scene is a simulation organised by Kuma Academy. The drill lasted eight hours and included training on responding to air defence alarms, using terrain as cover, and avoiding detection by enemy forces.
“In today’s large-scale exercise, we are simulating real-life scenarios to allow our students to get hands-on experience,” Chen Ying, an instructor at Kuma Academy, explains. One hundred and twenty participants, all of whom had completed basic first aid and disaster response training, took part.
Kuma Academy has grown rapidly, offering courses on topics from cyberattacks to CPR. It is part of a grassroots movement of Taiwan civil defence groups that have seen many civilians sign up for training. Lessons cover nonviolent civil preparedness, such as first aid, emergency supplies, and countering online manipulation campaigns.
According to Assistant Professor Fang-Yu Chen from Soochow University in Taipei, these preparations stem from concerns about China. “Taiwanese are concerned about China taking aggressive steps against Taiwan,” he says. Since 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has regarded Taiwan as part of China. In 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he would not rule out using force to bring the island under CCP control.
The scene is a simulation organised by Kuma Academy. The drill lasted eight hours and included training on responding to air defence alarms, using terrain as cover, and avoiding detection by enemy forces.
“In today’s large-scale exercise, we are simulating real-life scenarios to allow our students to get hands-on experience,” Chen Ying, an instructor at Kuma Academy, explains. One hundred and twenty participants, all of whom had completed basic first aid and disaster response training, took part.
Kuma Academy has grown rapidly, offering courses on topics from cyberattacks to CPR. It is part of a grassroots movement of Taiwan civil defence groups that have seen many civilians sign up for training. Lessons cover nonviolent civil preparedness, such as first aid, emergency supplies, and countering online manipulation campaigns.
According to Assistant Professor Fang-Yu Chen from Soochow University in Taipei, these preparations stem from concerns about China. “Taiwanese are concerned about China taking aggressive steps against Taiwan,” he says. Since 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has regarded Taiwan as part of China. In 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he would not rule out using force to bring the island under CCP control.
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