Tsai vows to boost transitional justice at 228 memorial service

2023/03/02

President Tsai Ing-wen pledged Feb. 28 to promote transitional justice as part of Taiwan’s democratic development while urging relevant ministries and agencies to accelerate fact-finding missions and reconciliation.
 
The government has implemented a raft of measures to redress past injustices since 2016, Tsai said, citing the rescinding of 5,983 wrongful convictions and review of 7,572 political files from the authoritarian period.
 
Tsai made the remarks during an event marking the 76th anniversary of the February 28 Incident held in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. She took the opportunity to offer condolences on behalf of the government to victims and their surviving family members.
 
The incident occurred following calls for government reforms in 1947. When these demands went unmet, protests broke out around the country, prompting the arrival of military reinforcements from China and resulting in many civilian deaths during the ensuing crackdown.
 
According to Tsai, the government has also identified a total of 42 sites where injustices occurred and is revitalizing the historic locations for educational purposes. The Ministry of Education’s proposed guidelines on incorporating transitional justice into school curricula were additionally approved by the Executive Yuan last week, she said.
 
These are complemented by the Transitional Justice Board launched by the EY last September, a review committee established by the Ministry of Justice in late 2022 to redress judicial and administrative wrongs, a foundation set up by the EY to provide restitution to the victims of political persecution and their family members in January, and draft amendments to the Political Archives Act proposed recently, Tsai said.
 
The government and people of Taiwan must remember lessons learned from the February 28 Incident, Tsai said, adding that it is her responsibility as president to allow people a dignified pursuit of freedom and prosperity, unrestricted interaction with the world, and above all, the autonomy to be true to themselves. 


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