Wikipedia

Tseng Sheng-guang

In this article, the surname is Tseng.

Tseng Sheng-guang (Amis: Sincyang Diway;[4] Chinese: 曾聖光; September 12, 1997 – November 2, 2022), also known as Jonathan Tseng, was a Taiwanese army veteran who volunteered to join the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine and was the first soldier from East Asia to be killed in action during the Russo-Ukrainian War.[5][6]

Tseng Sheng-guang
Sincyang Diway
Born(1997-09-12)September 12, 1997
Ji'an, Hualien, Taiwan
DiedNovember 2, 2022(2022-11-02) (aged 25)
Kreminna, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine[1]
Cause of deathMortar attack
Other namesJonathan Tseng
曾聖光
曾煜閎 (screenname on Facebook)
Awards Ukraine
Military career
Allegiance ROC (2016–2021)
 Ukraine (2022)
Service / branch ROC Army
 Ukraine Territorial Defense Forces
RankCorporal (Taiwan)
Volunteer (Ukraine)

Early life and education

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Tseng was born in a Taiwanese indigenous family of the Sakizaya ethnic group in the Hualien County in East Taiwan[7] – an ancient Austronesian nation of six tribes which been massacred to almost extinction by the Qing expedition army.[8][9] The last Sakizayan survivors after the racial cleansing through the Huadong Valley took refuge into the highland Amis tribes in the Hai"an mountain range for 129 years until the extended population of hundreds of people received official recognition to recover their ethnic status in 2007.[10][11]

Later, Tseng's parents immigrated to Belize but divorced, and his mother brought him back to Taiwan. When he returned to Taiwan, he learned English, Spanish, Amis and Taiwanese Mandarin, and represented his local high school to participate in an English competition where he won second place.[12]

Military career

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Tseng joined the army in 2016 after high school graduation, and served 5 years in an armoured battalion and in the 2nd Logistics Department of the Huadong Defense Command, achieving the rank of corporal, and was honorably discharged in 2021.[13]

On June 19, 2022, Tseng joined the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine to fight against the Russian invasion, and in the beginning of September, entered the Carpathian Sich Battalion, an earlier Special Tasks Patrol Police company of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that had been reformed in May as the 49th Infantry Battalion in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[14][15] The unit participated in the counteroffensive operations of the Eastern Ukraine campaign and stood on the forefront to provide flanking maneuver support in the battle of Donbas to recover the strategical cities as Russian logistics transmission centers of Izium and Lyman, where massive graves were uncovered.[16][17] The Carpathian Sich Battalion went on to secure more settlements and a series of dams in the northern Donetsk Oblast by October 3.[18]

On October 23, Tseng's light infantry troop was assigned from Terny in the Lyman direction of the Donetsk Oblast to Kreminna in the Luhansk Oblast, and took out three positions in the following days, then held the frontline awaiting the main force for nine days.[1] On November 1, air-strikes hit the troopers and Tseng hard with concussion; after covering three colleagues to retreat under the Russian artillery and tank siege next day, Tseng suffered from a head injury and a broken left leg by a mortar bombardment, then died of bleeding,[1][19][20] becoming the first East Asian soldier to be killed in action in the war,[6][21] Tseng's teammate, Australian sniper Trevor Kjeldal (dubbed "Ninja"), also was killed in action by a mortar attack in the same battle.[22][23] A friend of Tseng, a Japanese volunteer in the Ukrainian Foreign Legion and a colleague in the 49th Infantry Battalion, nicknamed Dobure [ja; zh] posted Tseng's pictures online in lament, stating: "Be my friend in next life" who was later killed in action too on November 9.[24][25]

Ukrainian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Oleksandr Merezhko, Deputy Battalion commander Ruslan Andriyko, and Tseng's American troop leader nicknamed as "Boris", paid tribute to Tseng and Taiwan.[26][27][1] Tseng’s mother comforted: "Knowing that, in the last moments of his life, Sheng-guang was fighting alongside a group of the bravest warriors, that they supported each other and were together in life and death… I find a lot of consolation."[28]

Personal life

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Tseng was born baptised with a Protestant Christian family and was associated with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, whereas the missionaries had serviced the remote countryside and highland villages for over 150 years since 1865, throughout his life.[29][30][7] He was married, and fathered one child. His widowed wife is currently working in Taoyuan.[13][1]

He paid attention to the ROC military reform issues, and shared the publicized analyses of other professional commentators, including that the Han Kuang Exercises had become "acting shows", that were not practical in line with actual operations; the four-month conscription service was too short and should be upgraded to one year; and traditional Huangpu ideology, bayonet fighting technique, Vietnam War strategies, etc. were hindering Taiwanese military reforms; and considered that "the Civil defense system, the reserve mobilization system, the disaster response capability, and the strategic material reserves are immature and some even non-existent..."[31]

During the Chinese military exercises around Taiwan in August, Tseng considered to return from Ukraine to re-join the Taiwanese military, ultimately remaining in Ukraine. In response to Chinese nationalist netizens criticising to his Facebook account as a "damn Taiwanese independence supporter", he replied: "I am a Taiwanese, not a Chinese."[31][32]

Shortly after Tseng's death news revealed, a document was posted online showing unpaid credit card debts and bills summed up to NT$ 1 million dollars (approximately $32,500 US dollars), and sparked doubt on his actual motive to go to Ukraine. His Taiwanese church chaplain, clergies and Ukrainian officials explained that "his true intention was based on the sense of justice with no desire of heroism, but hearing the call to protect the innocent civilians from brutality and life danger, and telling Taiwan: 'the war was never too far from us', but 'let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream!'" (Amos 5:24)[7][33][27] Ukrainian Parliamentarian Inna Sovsun saw Tseng as a Ukrainian soldier, stating that Tseng "had a sense of duty for freedom. For four years, he prepared to defend his motherland from Chinese invaders, but he went to defend a foreign country, which faced the same threat as his."[34][35]

Aftermath

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On November 11, 2022, an amateur Taiwanese "Fun Chi Band" (放志樂團) of 6 members released a MV song to commemorate Tseng's spirit fighting for the democracy and freedom in Ukraine.[36]

In the farewell ceremony held at the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church in Lviv on November 15, Tseng's family received the honour of a Ukrainian national flag with a medal, his battalion emblem and wearing Ukraine-Taiwan-united armband, along with a Russian bayonet in recognition of his sacrifice.[1][37][38] On December 4, ROC Minister of Council of Indigenous Peoples, Icyang Parod, awarded them the top indigenous honor, First-class Professional Medal, posthumously.[39]

Military reform

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From December 21–27, Russia and China held a joint live fire exercise, dubbed "Maritime Interaction-2022", off Zhoushan and Taizhou in the East China Sea, north of Taiwan, to "further deepen" their cooperation, less than a week after Japan announced its defense budget increase in response to the increasing security threats, including their joint bombers exercises of Tu-95s and H-6Ks near its airspace in November and their 2021 circumnavigation of Japanese main islands by a joint Chinese-Russian flotilla.[40][41][42] The flagship Varyag missile cruiser, the Marshal Shaposhnikov destroyer, 2 corvettes of the Pacific Fleet and 2 destroyers, 2 patrol ships, 1 multipurpose supply ship, 1 submarine of the People’s Liberation Army Navy participated the drills with Russian sailors speaking in Mandarin Chinese, and Russian ships fired missiles.[42][41]

On Christmas, Formosa Republican Association held a memorial concert for Tseng, quoting President J. F. Kennedy's address to be active citizens: "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country", in the Paper Church (built with Japanese donation after 1999 Jiji earthquake) in Puli, Nantou.[43] Tseng's family also donated all the retrieved Tseng's items from Ukraine to the National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan (Ancient capital of Tungning Kingdom) for public exhibition.[44]

On December 27, President Tsai Ing-wen followed up after a national security meeting to announce the military reform in Taiwan: conscription term scaling-up to one year with salary increase; shifting the focus on the bayonet fighting techniques to the practical hand-to-hand combat skills; increasing the basic training contents including first aid and modernized weapon operations, and the strategical and structural re-design in line with Ukrainian experiences and American modules.[45][46][47] She quoted Winston Churchill to confront authoritarianism, and stated: "Ukraine is still struggling, and the firm will of the Ukrainian people to protect their homeland has inspired people all over the world who love democracy and freedom."[48]

On April 10, 2023, the Anonymous hacking group defaced a Russian website that solicits donations for law enforcement organizations where they uploaded a memorial to Tseng Sheng-guang. Besides that, the hacking collective argued that the "firsts" achieved by the Soviet Union during the Space Race were exaggerated and were far surpassed by U.S. accomplishments.[49]

On April 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued the No. 246 Decree awarding the Order for Courage of the third class to nineteen non-commissioned officers and soldiers, including Tseng and Trevor, for their self-sacrificing performance in military duty.[2][3]

Sheng-guang Project

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On 9 November 2023, ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the "Sheng-guang Project" to continue the humanitarian aids of civil society donations in cooperative initiatives with East European states to assist Ukrainian refugees, medical, transport and power system reconstruction need. A logo of "Taiwan Stands Up for Freedom" in three languages under Tseng's Sakizaya nation totem circled with the defense bamboos of their last stand at Takubuwa a kawaw in 1878 was designed to integrate the future support efforts.[50][51]

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine.
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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Chen, Yan-ting (November 15, 2022). "烏克蘭現場／「他是我兒子，我驕傲」台灣志願兵曾聖光的告別式" [Live in Ukraine / "I am proud that he is my son" Farewell to the Taiwanese volunteer Tseng] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Lviv: United Daily News. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №246/2023". The Presidential Office of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Kyiv. April 28, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023. ЦЕНГА, ШЕНГ-ГУАНГА Джонатана Ценга (посмертно) — солдата
  3. ^ a b Tsai, Chia-min; Chao, Yen-hsiang (May 1, 2023). "Zelenskyy honors Taiwanese soldier who died in Ukraine war". Focus Taiwan. Taipei. The Central News Agency (Taiwan). Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "表彰已故阿美族青年曾聖光Sincyang‧Diway捍衛自由民主之貢獻" [In recognition to the contribution of the late Amis youth Sincyang Diway in defending freedom and democracy]. Council of Indigenous Peoples (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. December 4, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Hema, Mikhail (November 7, 2022). "В войне за Украину погиб шестой гражданин США и доброволец из Тайваня" [The sixth US citizen and a volunteer from Taiwan died in the war for Ukraine]. 24 Kanal (in Russian). Kyiv. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Lau, Stuart (November 8, 2022). "Death of Taiwanese soldier exposes Kyiv's China dilemma". Brussels: Politico Europe. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Lin, Zhi-wen (November 8, 2022). "阿美青年成烏國志願兵，戰死沙場引熱議—所屬教會牧者與媒體人觀點" [An Ami youth volunteered as a Ukrainian soldier and died in action – from the viewpoints of the church chaplain and media] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Christian Daily.
  8. ^ Kan, Pei-de; Li, Yi-Hsian; Chen, Jun-nan (2015). 加禮宛事件 [Incident of Kabalaen] (in Chinese (Taiwan)) (first ed.). Taipei: Council of Indigenous Peoples. ISBN 9789860468502.
  9. ^ Admin (October 2, 2013). "奇萊平原上的巨大茄苳樹：撒奇萊雅族人的生命與毀滅之歌" [Giant Solanum Tree on the Chilai Plain: Song of the life and annihilation of Sakizaya People] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taiwan: Mata Taiwan. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  10. ^ "Taiwan recognises 'lost' people". Taipei: BBC News. January 17, 2007. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  11. ^ Tsai, June (January 26, 2007). "Sakizaya becomes the 13th indigenous group". Taipei: Taiwan Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2023 – via archive.today.
  12. ^ Zhou, Jia-ru (November 5, 2022). "曾奪全縣英文賽亞軍！曾聖光戰死烏克蘭 高中帥氣照成追憶" [Tseng's high school picture winning the English competition in the second place in the County tournament remains in memory] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: TVBS.
  13. ^ a b Central News Agency (Taiwan) (November 4, 2022). "台灣志願兵曾聖光戰死烏克蘭 太太：他很有正義感" [Tseng's wife comments on his death in action: He got the sense of justice] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taoyuan: Liberty Times. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  14. ^ "Доброволець із Тайваню загинув, воюючи на боці України – ЗМІ" [Mass Media: A volunteer from Taiwan died fighting on the side of Ukraine]. Radio Svoboda (in Ukrainian). Prague. November 5, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "У Львові попрощаються з тайванцем, який загинув у боях за Україну" [In Lviv they will say goodbye to a Taiwanese who died fighting for Ukraine] (in Ukrainian). Lviv. November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  16. ^ Lamb, William (September 15, 2022). "A mass grave site with 440 bodies was found in Izium, a police official said". The New York Times. New York City. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  17. ^ Monaghan, Elaine; Gregorio, David (October 14, 2022). "Ukraine completes exhumation of soldiers at Lyman mass grave". Reuters. Donetsk. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Gall, Carlotta; Prickett, Ivor (October 7, 2022). ""They Are in a Panic": Ukraine's Troops Size Up the Enemy". The New York Times. New York City. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  19. ^ "台灣25歲志願兵戰死烏克蘭 家屬證實接獲噩耗" [The family of a 25-year-old Taiwanese volunteer killed in Ukraine confirmed that they had received bad news] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. Liberty Times. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  20. ^ "Hualien man becomes 1st Taiwanese combatant to die in Ukraine war". Taipei. Central News Agency (Taiwan). November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  21. ^ Hong, Fu-hwa; Liu, Ting-ting (November 5, 2022). "首位台籍志願軍曾聖光戰死烏克蘭 友人：為救同袍！他擔心未來戰爭在台灣" [The first Taiwanese volunteer Tseng fought to death in Ukraine; his friend: It's for saving his colleagues! He worried about the future war in Taiwan.] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. TVBS. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  22. ^ Gould, Courtney (November 5, 2022). "'Unfathomable loss': Aussie man believed to be fighting in Ukraine killed". Surry Hills, New South Wales: The Australian. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  23. ^ Tapper, Michelle; Whiteman, Hilary; Rangiah, Lillian (November 6, 2022). "Friend of Australian man killed in Ukraine says he died in Russian mortar attack". London, UK: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  24. ^ "ウクライナで戦っていたとみられる日本人男性死亡 政府関係者" [Ukrainian Government officially confirms the death of Japanese man fought in Ukraine] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Japan Broadcasting Corp. November 11, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  25. ^ Lin, Kun-wei (November 11, 2022). "才悼曾聖光「來世當好友」傳戰死 日首例志願軍援烏捐軀" [D.I.A. shortly after grieving Tseng "Be my friend in next life", claimed the first Japanese volunteer sacrifice in the military support to Ukraine] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Mirror News. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  26. ^ Lin, Michael (November 11, 2022). "Hero died upholding democracy". Taipei Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Translated by Julian Clegg. Taipei. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  27. ^ a b Lin, Li-hao (November 13, 2022). "發文哀悼曾聖光 烏軍官向台灣致敬：全國人民感激他" [Ukrainian officer issues a condolence for Tseng and salutes Taiwan] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. China Times Weekly. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  28. ^ Williams, Sophie (December 13, 2022). "Why Taiwanese are among Ukraine's foreign fighters". Russia-Ukraine war. BBC News. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  29. ^ "Presbyterian Church in Taiwan". World Council of Churches. January 1, 2006. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  30. ^ Lin, Jung-Chi (1988). "The Church Growth of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan". Taipei: Fuller Theological Seminary – via National Taiwan University Library.
  31. ^ a b Wang, Jing-yi (November 5, 2022). "帶著中華民國臂章上烏戰場 曾聖光一度想回台保衛國家" [Wearing the ROC armband to the Ukrainian battlefield, Tseng once wanted to return to defend Taiwan]. Liberty Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Hualian. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  32. ^ Shi, Zhi-ling (November 9, 2022). "台灣勇士曾聖光戰死異鄉 王定宇哀悼「英雄永遠不會被遺忘」" [Taiwanese fighter fought to death overseas, Legislator Wang mourns "Heroes will never be forgotten"] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. Next Apple News. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  33. ^ Nakonechna, Vasylyna (November 10, 2022). "烏克蘭軍方譽曾聖光「無畏戰士」 將辦追悼儀式" [Ukrainian military will hold a memorial service to honor the "fearless warrior" Tseng] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Kyiv: Liberty Times. Retrieved November 13, 2022 – via Central News Agency (Taiwan).
  34. ^ Chung, Yu-chen; Yeh, Joseph (November 15, 2022). "Farewell ceremony held for fallen Taiwanese soldier in Ukraine". Taipei: Central News Agency (Taiwan). Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  35. ^ Hsueh, Andy; Watt, Louise (November 7, 2022). "Volunteer Fighter from Hualien Killed in Combat in Ukraine". Taipei: TaiwanPlus. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Youtube.
  36. ^ Hong, Rei-chin (November 11, 2022). "曾聖光壯烈陣亡 本土樂團寫歌紀念送一程" [A local band wrote a song to commemorate Tseng's sacrifice] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Tainan: Liberty Times. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  37. ^ Chou, Asnaya; Glauert, Rik (November 16, 2022). "Memorial Held for Taiwanese Volunteer Killed Fighting in Ukraine". Taipei: TaiwanPlus. Retrieved December 16, 2022 – via Youtube.
  38. ^ Copper, Tomas (November 17, 2022). "Memorial ceremony for Taiwanese volunteer held in Ukraine". Lviv: Radio Taiwan International. Retrieved December 16, 2022 – via Youtube.
  39. ^ Chater, James; Chen, Patrick (December 5, 2022). "Taiwanese Volunteer Killed in Ukraine Given Top Indigenous Honor" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). TaiwanPlus News. Retrieved December 28, 2022 – via Youtube.
  40. ^ Lendon, Brad (December 19, 2022). "Russia and China unite for live-fire naval exercises in waters near Japan". Seoul: CNN. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  41. ^ a b "China, Russia hold joint naval exercises to 'deepen' partnership – China and Russia have increased military exercises in an alignment of foreign policies and in opposition to the West". London. Al Jazeera English. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  42. ^ a b Faulconbridge, Guy; Janowski, Tomasz (December 28, 2022). "Russia and China practice 'capturing a submarine' in joint military drills". Euronews. [Moscow]. Reuters. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  43. ^ Wang, Zhao-kun (December 25, 2022). "留取丹心照汗青 紙教堂音樂會追思曾聖光" [Leaving the loyal heart for the history after death, the concert of Paper Church commemorates Jonathan Tseng] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Puli, Nantou: Radio Taiwan International. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  44. ^ Tsai, Han-hsun (September 7, 2023). "我們不該忘了曾聖光……" [We shall never forget Jonathan Tseng...] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). New Taipei City: Green Peace Broadcasting Station (Taiwan). Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  45. ^ Cheung, Eric (December 27, 2022). "Taiwan extends mandatory military service period to counter China threat". Taipei. CNN. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  46. ^ Li, Yi-wei (December 27, 2022). "刺槍術改近戰格鬥訓練！學刺針飛彈、紅隼火箭彈！蔡英文：當兵不是浪費時間" [Changing the bayonet fighting techniques to close-range combat training, and learning to operate Stinger Missiles and Kestrel Rockets! Tsai Ing-wen: Serving as a soldier is not wasting time] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. CTi News. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  47. ^ Nakamura, Ryo (December 29, 2022). "U.S. welcomes Taiwan's military service extension". Taiwan Tensions. Tokyo. Nikkei Asia. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  48. ^ Tsai, Ing-wen (December 27, 2022). "兵役延長拍板定案 總統蔡英文召開記者會(全程)" [President Tsai held the press conference to finalize the conscription service extension (Live)] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei. TVBS News. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  49. ^ Everington, Keoni (April 11, 2023). "Anonymous hacks Russian site to honor Taiwanese soldier who died in Ukraine | Taiwan News | 2023-04-11 12:23:00". Taiwan News. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  50. ^ Lin, Yun-zhen (November 9, 2023). "外交部推「聖光計畫」 讓世界看到「台灣挺自由」" [Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes "Sheng-guang Project" to show the world that "Taiwan stands Up for Freedom"] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Radio Taiwan International. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  51. ^ "Taiwan Stands Up for Freedom". Taipei: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC〈Taiwan〉. November 15, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023 – via Youtube.
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