President Lai Ching-te expressed hope Feb. 24 that Taiwan’s 23 million people will unite to safeguard the country while maintaining the constitutional system of democracy, freedom, and human rights to continue Taiwan’s development and prosperity.
Lai made the remarks when meeting with the 228 Incident overseas victims’ families homecoming group at the Presidential Office in Taipei City. The 228 Incident occurred in 1947 after the Japanese colonial government’s withdrawal in late 1945 and followed calls for government reform. When these demands went unmet, protests broke out around the country, prompting a military crackdown that resulted in many civilian deaths.
The president first thanked the group for its longstanding work for speaking out in support of Taiwan, noting that this year is the 78th anniversary of the 228 Incident. The death of Taiwan social elites in the event including the first Taiwan prosecutor Wang Yu-lin and artist Chen Cheng-po caused incalculable losses to Taiwan society, he said, offering apologies again on behalf of the government.
The government will spare no effort to do make amends for the 228 Incident, Lai said, citing remedial measures including admitting mistakes, offering apologies, making compensation, investigating the truth, restoring reputations, revoking judgments and setting up memorials and monuments. He added that government authorities are committed to pursuing transitional justice to seek the truth, bring justice and guarantee that such an incident will never happen again.
Although this is an unfinished task, Lai said the government will declassify political archives and stressed that people must not forget history and understand the differences between democracy and authoritarianism to protect freedom.
The government seeks to unite the country, protect public safety and never allow an event like the 228 Incident to happen again, Lai concluded. To this end, Taiwan’s sovereignty must be safeguarded, he said, adding that the ROC (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other, Taiwan’s sovereignty is inviolable and cannot be annexed, and that the country’s future is to be determined by its 23 million people. (YCH-E)
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