Former ROC (Taiwan) Vice President Chen Chien-jen visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Memorial Nov. 17 during the first leg of his six-day EU visit, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chen and his wife Lo Fong-ping, at the invitation of ABSMM, attended the unveiling ceremony for a Taiwan plaque at the facility, the MOFA said. It will be added to the donor wall in recognition of the country’s contributions to safeguarding freedom and human rights, the ministry added.
During his address, Chen said Taiwan is firmly committed to promoting human rights through concrete actions, citing recent government cooperation with Poland in transforming the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camps into inspirational education materials.
Chen also urged the world to never forget the history of Holocaust nor allow a repeat of this tragic episode. People around the globe need to treasure hard-earned human rights protection, as well as free and democratic ways of life, he added.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the MOFA said “Ex-Vice President Chen & his wife attended the unveiling ceremony for the #Taiwan plaque at @AuschwitzMuseum in #Poland. The event recognized the country’s contributions to promoting freedom, human rights & related education efforts empowering societies worldwide. #WeRemembe”
According to the ministry, Taiwan is the first East Asian country to cooperate with ABSMM—the largest and best-preserved site of its kind—by using modern technologies to promote awareness and understanding of this dark chapter in history. (SFC-E)
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