TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The well-known Ming Hwa Yuan Taiwanese Opera Troupe denied media allegations Wednesday that it was making propaganda for the ruling Kuomintang in return for subsidies from the government.
The popular group had received NT$280 million (US$9.2 million) from the government and was now appearing at KMT campaign events for the January 14 presidential and legislative elections, Next Magazine reported Wednesday.
Opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang said the Ma administration had problems with its distribution of funds. Another Taiwanese opera troupe only received NT$1.19 million (US$39,000) from the government over three years, yet Ming Hwa Yuan managed to obtain NT$280 million, he said.
Ming Hwa Yuan chief Chen Sheng-fu said that if Next did not apologize within two days, he would consider further legal action.
He said that his troupe was one of many cultural groups receiving government subsidies, and that it was usually not allowing election candidates to mount the stage to address the public.
Chen also criticized the picture Next chose to put in the report. The photo, showing the troupe with President Ma Ying-jeou and his campaign number 2, was taken in 2007 when Ming Hwa Yuan gave a free performance, Chen said. At the time, Ma was also running for president as No.2, he said, which could lead readers to believe the picture was recent.
A series of KMT lawmakers named in the Next article as having invited the Taiwanese opera group to perform all denied the allegations. Tsai Cheng-yuan said he had invited Ming Hwa Yuan twice but had never applied for government subsidies for the event. Hsu Shu-po said he sponsored cultural events every year, not just at election time, while Lin Yu-fang said he only helped organize the event. There were no campaign banners, nobody handed out campaign flyers and he had never mentioned the elections in his address, Lin said.
Next Magazine said it would not comment on the reactions from the Ming Hwa Yuan officials and from lawmakers.
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