Hundreds of people took to the streets of Taipei on Monday in a commemorative march on the 75th anniversary of the 228 Incident, and they demanded to know the truth about the violent crackdown on the civilian uprisings in 1947.
“We remember the past, not to pass on hatred, but to look toward the future,” said Cheng Chu-mei (???), a senior member of the Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation, one of the 50-plus civil groups that co-organized the march.
The many young people who joined Monday’s march did so with a sense of determination and hope for a better future, Cheng said, adding that the event served to highlight the importance of love, justice and peace.
First held in 2017, the annual march is a commemoration of the 18,000-28,000 people in Taiwan reportedly killed by Nationalist military forces during a crackdown on anti-government uprisings that began on Feb. 28, 1947.
The 228 Incident, as it became known, took place about 16 months after the end of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan and led to the imposition of martial law, which lasted nearly four decades.
Koeh Jun-têng (???), a representative of the civil groups that organized Monday’s march, told CNA that 75 years after the 228 Incident, the people of Taiwan still do not have a full grasp of what happened during the crackdown.
In addition, those responsible for the horrific events were never brought to justice, said Koeh, an activist and a promoter of the Taiwanese language.
Finding the truth is unfinished business, not only for the families of those who were killed or arrested during the massacre, but for the entire society, Koeh said.
“Only when we uncover the truth can we move on and find peace,” she said.
A 28-year-old NGO worker surnamed Tsai (?) expressed similar views, saying that as long as the truth about the incident remains obscure, people should continue to march and demand the facts from the authorities.
The march provides an opportunity for people of different generations to learn about the 228 Incident and commemorate those who lost their lives, she said.
Some parents who participated in Monday’s procession also brought their children so their younger generation could learn more about the incident.
A father surnamed Chang (?) said his two sons, ages 8 and 10, had learned about the 228 Incident from reading illustrated books, and he hoped that their participation in the march would spur some reflection on their part.
Chang, who works at a museum, said it is a tradition in his family to take part in human rights events, and he looked forward to discussing Monday’s march with his children later and hearing their thoughts about it.
The procession started at around 10:15 a.m. near Tianma Teahouse in Taipei’s Dadaocheng neighborhood, where the shooting that sparked the nationwide 228 Incident occurred in 1947.
The participants then marched to several sites where other major incidents had occurred, and they ended at the Executive Yuan building, which was formerly the headquarters of the Taiwan Provincial Government.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel