National Human Rights Museum to host FIHRM Asia-Pacific branch

2019/09/06

Taipei City-based National Human Rights Museum is to host the Asia-Pacific branch of the U.K.-based Federation of International Human Rights Museums.

 The announcement was made by FIHRM President David Fleming at the General Conference of the International Council of Museums Sept. 3 in Kyoto, Japan. He said Taiwan’s outstanding human rights record makes it a natural home for the organization’s Asia-Pacific base, and thanked the Ministry of Culture for supporting the move.
 
 The branch will address regional human rights violations arising from colonialism, war and autocracy while pushing for transitional justice, dialogue and reconciliation. It is FIHRM’s second overseas office following one in Latin America that opened in 2017.
 
 Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chun welcomed the federation’s decision and said it reflects the progress Taiwan has made in becoming a beacon of human rights across Asia.
 
 Also on hand for the announcement were MOC Deputy Minister Hsiao Tsung-huang, NHRM Director Chen Jung-hong and former ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz.
 
 A major ICOM affiliate, FIHRM was founded in 2010 to encourage interactions between museums that cover human rights themes worldwide.
 
 NHRM was established in 2018 on the site of a former detention center for political prisoners during Taiwan’s martial law era. It is dedicated to promoting human rights, preserving historical documents and recording victims’ oral testimonies.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)