President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday promised to strengthen efforts to compensate victims of past political persecution and pledged to seek peace across the Taiwan Strait to create a peaceful environment and prevent any situation that might lead to the re-establishment of martial law.
“Martial law existed in Taiwan because of the wars between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party ... The only way to prevent martial law from being established again is to prevent war. Seeking peace across the Taiwan Strait, therefore, is one of the highest goals for the government,” Ma said while addressing a memorial ceremony at Jieshou Park for the White Terror victims.
The event commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the lifting of martial law. Dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) declared martial law on May 19, 1949, and it came into effect the next day. The declaration ushered in the White Terror era and was not lifted until July 15, 1987.
PHOTO: CNA
Ma yesterday said there was only one standard for human rights, and all civilians should be given equal human rights regardless of their ethnicity or political affiliation.
He said that he was indicted two years ago over the mayoral allowance case, and that if he had been wrongly convicted, he would have had the same feelings as the victims of the White Terror era. Ma promised to spare no effort to defend human rights and prevent false cases in the judicial system.
Ma was indicted in February 2007 on a charge of embezzling NT$11 million (US$333,000) from his special mayoral allowance during his eight years in office. The Taipei District Court found him not guilty in August that same year.
Speaking at the same occasion, Lin Chih-chieh (林至潔), a representative of White Terror victims, urged the government to establish a national memorial hall and foundation to take better care of the victims and their families.
“We expect the government to treat the victims of the 228 Incident and the White Terror era equally. The government needs to recognize its mistakes, apologize, establish a memorial hall, provide compensation and restore our reputations,” she said.
Ma also promised to continue talking to victims and discuss possible measures to take care of them.
At a separate setting yesterday, when asked to comment on Ma’s comparison of the victims of White Terror to his mayoral fund indictment, Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said such a comparison would disappoint people.
Ma’s problem is that he does not feel or understand the deep fear, anxiety and terror that Taiwanese experienced for decades during the White Terror, Tsai said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS