The Tainan City Government is considering the establishment of a task force to remove statues that depict Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) from local school campuses, Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday at a commemorative event for the families and victims of the 228 Incident.
The 228 Incident refers to an uprising that began on Feb. 27, 1947, against the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime and the resulting crackdown that left tens of thousands dead and led to nearly four decades of martial law.
The decision was made to give schools a clean learning environment and symbolize Taiwan’s freedom from the autocratic rule of the past, Lai said.
Photo: Screengrab from Facebook
Many of Chiang’s statues or busts at campuses across the nation are vandalized every year with paint or banners with the word “murderer” on them on the eve of the 228 Incident anniversary, Lai said.
Lai said the protest actions are an effort to remind Taiwanese of Chiang’s autocratic rule and to introduce transitional justice.
Over the past six years, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been reluctant to come to terms with “historical truths,” nor have history textbooks been modified to convey such truths, Lai said.
Photo: Screengrab from Facebook
There are 14 Chiang statues across Tainan, Lai said, adding that Tainan City Hall plans to hold discussions with the Taoyuan City Government on the possibility of Taoyuan housing the statues.
No statues of Chiang remain in areas that comprised the former Tainan County because they were moved to Taoyuan prior to the merging of the county and city into a special municipality, Lai said.
Lai and the Tainan City Government stressed that the move is not meant to incite conflict and seeks to avoid defilement of the statues.
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
SECURITY CONCERNS: An FBI agent said it was surprising that the shooter, whose motive remains unknown, was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former US president Donald Trump yesterday called for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him injured, but “fine,” and the shooter and a rally-goer dead. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting His aides said he was in “great spirits” and doing well. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place,” he