Taiwan Coast Guard Officer Balances Faith and Duty in Taiwan Strait

By Yimou Lee, Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang

PENGHU, Taiwan, June 29 (Reuters) – When Yeh Chih-sheng steps aboard Taiwan Coast Guard vessel CG1005 in the choppy waters of the Taiwan Strait, he brings more than his uniform and orders: he also has temple charms blessed by the gods revered by fishermen for protection at sea.

Yeh is first mate of the 2,400-ton ship based in Taiwan's Penghu islands, and part of Taipei's maritime frontline as China asserts its claim of sovereignty over the democratically governed island.

Off duty, he is an assistant priest, or "sio-huat" in Taiwanese, at a Penghu temple devoted to the Five Lords — guardian deities long worshipped by coastal communities for safe seas and protection from plague.

Yeh has served the gods since primary school, helping spirit mediums during rituals in which deities are believed to descend from the heavens and deliver instructions.

"The Coast Guard is a tangible backing people can see," Yeh said. "The Five Lords are a spiritual anchor in people's hearts. Both help bring fishermen and ordinary people a sense of reassurance."

That fusion of duty and faith has become a source of comfort for Yeh, as Taiwan faces growing military pressure from China, which has not ruled out using force to bring the democratically governed island under Chinese control.

Taipei rejects China's territorial claims, especially Beijing's view that it has the right to carry out "law enforcement" patrols in Taiwan's waters.

China's actions have attracted concern from the U.S. and some of its allies, which last week said recent operations off Taiwan's east coast threatened stability.

China's defense ministry said on Thursday its Coast Guard patrols were "lawful, legitimate and necessary."

Reuters was given rare access to Yeh's ship in Penghu, an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, through which billions of dollars of trade passes every year.

Yeh said Chinese warships and Coast Guard vessels now often cross the median line that once served as an unofficial buffer and come close to Taiwan's 24-nautical mile contiguous zone.

"They have already erased the median line," Yeh said, adding that his job was to monitor and warn Chinese vessels away using water cannon, loudspeakers, LED boards and radio messages rather than escalating the encounter.

Yeh said he followed the Coast Guard's principle of "not provoking and not yielding," and he carries talismans and command tablets from the temple when he goes on patrol.

Standing beside the temple's Chienchiu Paochien, or ceremonial divine boat, Yeh said the vessel, like his coast guard ship, served to guard the Taiwan Strait and protect fishermen and ordinary people.

"What we protect is people's sense of safety and peace of mind," Yeh said. "With the coast guard and navy there, people can live normally."