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Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen has accused opposition parties, led by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), of collaborating with pro-China groups to obstruct US arms purchases and undermine Taiwan's whole-of-society defence strategy. He specifically pointed to attacks on the Kuma Academy, a non-profit civil defence organisation he co-founded, Taipei Times reported.
Speaking at a news conference, Shen claimed that he and the academy are being targeted by the KMT, the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and the Chinese Communist Party. He alleged that this was part of a broader effort to weaken Taiwan's civil defence initiatives. In recent weeks, Shen has been the focus of a cognitive warfare campaign spreading false claims, including allegations that he is a US spy, secretly receives American funding, and owns three properties in the United States. According to Taipei Times, Taipei City Councilor Hou Han-ting of the New Party has called for an investigation into Shen, claiming he received financial support from the American Institute in Taiwan to organise a training program, reported Taipei Times. Hou further alleged that Shen had remarked, "If Chinese missiles start flying [toward Taiwan], it would help us quite a lot," implying that he sought to profit from the missile threat. Shen denied these allegations, dismissing them as baseless and part of a Chinese disinformation campaign. He also clarified that his missile-related comment had been taken out of context. A criminology professor specialising in countering disinformation and Chinese propaganda warfare, Shen co-founded Kuma Academy in 2021 to train volunteers in civil defence, Taipei Times reported. The academy gained significant attention following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August 2022, which coincided with Chinese military exercises, including missile drills around Taiwan. These events heightened public awareness of China's military threats and emphasised the need for civilian-led defence initiatives, Taipei Times reported. Following these developments, Kuma Academy received increased support from businesses. However, Shen criticised Hou for misrepresenting the situation and accused him of distorting facts to suggest that he was exploiting Chinese missile threats for personal gain. He called such accusations "absurd." (ANI)
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