Self-Harm and Violent Incidents in the Taiwanese Army
On the 25 October at around 10PM, a gunshot was heard from Zuoying Naval Base, and a marine with the surname Hong was found with an entry wound at his chin. Hong was rushed to the neighbouring Zuoying Armed Forces General Hospital but could not be resuscitated. Marine Corps Command has since stated their regret and sorrow for the incident and will increase mental health resources for service members to prevent further incidents.
Rates of self-harm within Taiwan’s armed forces has steadily risen since 2020, and at 2023 it surpassed vehicle collisions as the top cause of death in active service. Notably, the first quarter of 2024 saw 13 suicides in the forces, twice that of the same period in 2023. In a press conference on the 29 October, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the two major reasons of self-harm and suicide in the forces are financial and relationship stress.
During the press conference, Colonel Zhang Jingtai (張景泰) of the Army also noted that while the suicide rate within the forces is still lower than the general population, yearly medical checks administered to troops began including a psychological assessment from 1 July of this year in an effort to intervene such issues at an early stage. The colonel added that educational campaigns to spread awareness on self-harm prevention from then until the end of the year to curb military suicide.
In another fatal incident, on 12 October at 2:40AM local time, Pingtung county police received reports of a violent incident in a karaoke establishment on Ruiguang Road. Three injuries and one death were reported. Local police stated that the incident was between a 24 year old Private First Class Lin, of the 333rd Mechanized Brigade, and 20 year old PFC Hong, of the Marine Corps, with two more suspects since arrested, one of which is also a service member.
During the scuffle, PFC Lin wielded a blade and partially disemboweled Hong before fleeing the scene. Hong was rushed to the hospital by several passers-by, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Five hours later, the police reported the arrest and detainment of Lin and other suspects and have charged them with assault and murder charges.
These violent incidents are clearly a concern for the Taiwanese military and civilian authorities but with over 170,000 personnel and the first tranches of 12-month conscripts beginning their service it will become increasingly important that the causes of incidences of self-harm and suicide are addressed