TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Retired Army Lieutenant General Kao An-kuo (高安國) has been indicted for breaking the National Security Act and prosecutors are seeking a heavy prison sentence.
On Monday, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office indicted Kao and five others for contravening the National Security Act and organizing a pro-China group, per Liberty Times. Prosecutors allege that Kao, the leader of the pro-unification group "Republic of China Taiwan Military Government, along with his girlfriend Liu (劉) and four others were recruited by PLA military intelligence personnel.
They allegedly worked to develop an organization for the Chinese Communist Party to establish armed internal support groups and operational bases during a People’s Liberation Army invasion of Taiwan. This included attempts to recruit active-duty military personnel to gather classified information and surveil strategic deployments.
The group also allegedly used drones to simulate surveillance operations on mobile military radar vehicles and other combat exercises, reporting the results back to the CCP.
The case originated in 2022 when personnel from the Ministry of National Defense’s Political Warfare Bureau reported the activities. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau collaborated with the Political Warfare Bureau and Taipei District Prosecutors, gathering evidence and referring the case to the High Prosecutors Office.
A national security task force composed of multiple agencies, including the MJIB, Criminal Investigation Bureau, and military units, conducted two waves of searches on Nov. 21, targeting 26 locations. They questioned 47 individuals, ultimately detaining six suspects, including Kao and Liu.
Kao, Liu, and others were found to have traveled between Taiwan and China under the guise of cultural exchanges in 2019, during which they were recruited by Chinese intelligence agents. They identified and recruited retired and active-duty military personnel in Taiwan, receiving financial support from China to establish armed internal support organizations and operational bases.
Kao and Liu incorporated former military colleagues and subordinates into their plans to overthrow the government, conspiring to act as internal support during a Chinese invasion. Hou (侯), the spokesperson for the group, recruited Chang (張), (陳) Chen, and (邱) Chiu, targeting active-duty soldiers to collect sensitive military data and observe strategic deployments of key military installations.
In September, the group held a training session, using drones to simulate surveillance of military mobile radar vehicles and other combat exercises. The results were shared with the CCP.
Prosecutors emphasized that Kao, as a high-ranking army officer entrusted with significant responsibilities, had a higher level of duty of loyalty to the nation. However, for personal gain, he formed an organization and sought funding from PLA intelligence personnel, compromising national security by building an armed group to act as internal accomplices during a potential invasion.
Prosecutors said Kao and Liu engaged in activities that endangered national security and social stability, promoted various schemes, and recruited current and former military personnel, placing the country’s security in an unpredictable and dangerous state.
Prosecutors have requested severe penalties including a minimum of 10 years in prison for Kao, eight years for Liu, six years for Hou, eight years for Chang, four years and six months for Chen, and three years and five months for Chiu.