MOC stages White Terror memorial service

2015-03-24

A service commemorating White Terror victims was held March 22 in Taipei City, underscoring ROC government efforts to redress the tragic incident and promote social justice.

“It is the government’s responsibility to document the period and help younger generations better understand this painful part of the nation’s past and the value of human rights,” Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi said.

Organized by the Preparatory Office of the National Human Rights Museum, the ceremony involved several local civic associations. It was attended by more than 100 family members of the victims and human rights activists.

According to Hung, the Ministry of Culture is responsible for caring for those who suffered political persecution after the Compensation Foundation for Wrongful Trials on Charges of Sedition and Espionage during the Martial Law Period (1949-1987) ceased operations last year.

“Other than organizing memorial services and producing documentaries, the MOC is employing all available educational resources and organizing training sessions for instructors to educate the youth,” he said.

Lan Yun-ruo, a spokeswoman for the White Terror victims and their families, said she remembers how her high school teacher father Lan Ming-gu was prosecuted for sedition and later sentenced to death. She also described the trauma of her mother’s 12-month imprisonment on Green Island and the impact of these events on her family.

“My biggest wish is for the wrongs of the past to be righted and justice to be served for those who lost their lives.”

The MOC said it will continue organizing similar activities to pay tribute to the victims, as well as enhancing awareness of the period so history will not repeat itself.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=228582&CtNode=413)