History is objective and yet feelings are subjective, Ma said. Those affected by the 1947 incident still harbor fear and doubt decades later, and it is important to reflect on the cause of this lingering mistrust, he added.
The president made the remarks at a Peace Memorial Day ceremony in Taipei City.
Since the founding of the Memorial Foundation of 228 in 1995, over 2,200 cases of monetary compensation have been approved, totaling more than NT$7.1 billion (US$ 233.9 million), Ma said.
Following revision of the 228 Incident Disposition and Compensation Act last year, the president said the deadline for the compensation scheme was pushed back four more years. To date, 12 new applications have been approved since the change, he added.
Despite the government’s continuing efforts to right the wrongs of the past, including admitting mistakes, apologizing, restoring the reputations of the victims and enacting laws to ensure the lessons of history will not be lost, investigations into the incident are still far from complete.
Ma urged members of the public come forward and provide materials related to the tragic event of 67 years ago so as to help restore justice to history.
The mistakes of the past may perhaps be forgiven, but what actually happened must never be forgotten, he said.
Looking to the future, the president vowed he would not waver in his devotion to uncovering the truth and caring for the victims’ families. Nor would he deviate from insistence on the rule of law and protecting human rights.
The government will keep up efforts to make sure history does not repeat itself, Ma said. (YHC-JSM)
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