President Tsai Ing-wen said Feb. 25 that Taiwan is committed to standing with the international community in upholding the universal values of human rights, freedom and justice, and will continue working to secure a future free from hatred and discrimination.
Tsai made the remarks while speaking at a Holocaust remembrance event—organized by German Institute and Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei—at National Central Library in Taipei City. The annual event honors the victims of the genocide that took place during World War II.
The president said the international community must forever remember the Holocaust in accordance with the axiom “never forget, never again.” “We must continue to reflect on all that we can do as individuals—and together as a country—to ensure that such events never again occur anywhere in the world,” she added.
Taiwan places great importance in human rights development and education, Tsai noted. Plans are in the works to establish a human rights museum that will help strengthen international exchanges with similar institutions in countries such as Germany and Israel, she added.
Tsai also took the opportunity to express her gratitude to the representative offices of Germany and Israel in Taipei on holding the event. Such occasions offer an opportunity to honor and reflect on the past, she said.
Comprising music performances and an exhibition, the commemorative event also featured a screening of a short film produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commemorating late Republic of China (Taiwan) diplomat Ho Feng-shan. Ho served as ROC consul-general in Vienna from 1938 to 1940 and is credited with saving the lives of at least 2,000 Jews by issuing them visas so they could escape Nazi-annexed Austria. (CPY-E)
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