Taiwan marked the 64th anniversary of the February 28 Incident with the opening of the National 228 Memorial Museum in Taipei City.
“The museum symbolizes the considerable headway Taiwan has made in its development of democracy and freedom,” ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said at the opening of the museum. “It also represents the government’s ability to reflect on its past mistakes.”
Ma said that the Memorial Foundation of 228, which manages the facility, will continue working to uncover the truth of the incident while educating the people.
The president called on the government and people to learn from history and continue striving to bolster Taiwan’s freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law. “This will help avoid reoccurrences of similar tragedies,” he said.
In commemoration of February 28 victims, local governments around Taiwan lowered the ROC national flag to half-mast. In addition, memorial services were staged in several parts of the country.
Southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City saw hundreds participate in a ceremony at 228 Peace Memorial Park. The event featured a Taiwanese folk music performance and local theater company’s dramatic portrayal of the incident. Similar memorial concerts also took place in Taichung City and Changhua County.
The February 28 Incident occurred in 1947 after protestors demanded Gov. Chen Yi institute reforms. When these calls went unmet, people throughout the island rebelled against the government. To quell the turmoil, military reinforcements from mainland China killed thousands of people. (JSM)
Write to Elaine Hou at elainehou@mail.gio.gov.tw