Kuma Academy, which encourages the Taiwanese public to prepare for war with the mainland and support the island, was sanctioned on October 14 for “propagating secessionist ideas” and serving as a base for “separatist independence activities”.

Also sanctioned were two prominent figures in the academy – Puma Shen, one of its founders, and business magnate Robert Tsao Hsing-cheng, a major donor to the organization and an outspoken critic of the mainland.

Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing, said the academy had “blatantly cultivated violent pro-independence activists under the guise of educational lectures, training, outdoor exercises and even parent-child activities.”

“(The academy) is openly involved in separatist activities and is undoubtedly a base of Taiwan’s independence,” he said. Shen and Tsao were sanctioned for supporting what Beijing perceives as “violent” pro-independence sentiment and activities.

While the academy has denied offering any combat training programs, observers have noted that its goals align with Lai’s ambition for a resilient, whole-of-society approach to streamlining Taiwan’s often-criticized civil defense system.

Building on Israel’s rapid mobilization of 360,000 reservists in just 72 hours after last year’s attack by Hamas, as well as the resistance of Ukrainian civilians, Lai oversaw the creation of a special committee to strengthen civil defense on the island.