Victims of political persecution and their families yesterday voiced support for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), while expressing the hope that she would pursue transitional justice if she is elected in January’s presidential election.
An alliance of four major associations of political victims consisting of victims of the 228 Massacre and the White Terror era announced the formation of a booster club for the DPP’s presidential candidate at a press conference.
The younger generation should be grateful to those who sacrificed their youth, bodies and even lives for the democratization of Taiwan, Tsai told about 300 victims and their families.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
“History should be remembered. Those who should be held accountable for their mistakes should be identified. However, it will not be done for the purpose of retaliation nor for revenge,” Tsai said, adding that the White Terror era would not be repeated if Taiwanese safeguard their democracy and sovereignty.
Transitional justice was not fully carried out during the previous DPP administration, Taiwan Association of University Professors president Chang Yen-hsien (張炎憲) told the press conference.
Victims were disappointed that “perpetrators were not identified and held accountable, even though they [victims] were compensated by the government,” Chang said.
“We support Tsai Ing-wen because we hope that Taiwan will be a country of human rights and justice under her leadership,” Chang said.
Noting that yesterday was Retrocession Day, a national holiday to mark the takeover of Taiwan by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government, former presidential adviser Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) said it was a meaningful day to establish Tsai’s booster club.
“The January election will not only have an impact on the current generation, but future generations as well,” he said.
In related news, Tsai’s first autobiography hit the shelves nationwide yesterday after a seven-day pre-order period.
The book, titled From Scrambled Eggs with Onions to Little Ing Lunchboxes — The Life Experiences of Tsai Ing-wen (洋蔥炒蛋到小英便當，蔡英文的人生滋味), was made available through online retailers on Oct. 18.
Tsai described how her life has changed after seeing three people — a DPP supporter in his 70s, DPP spokesperson Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Tsing Hua University professor Yao Jen-to (姚人多) — in tears after the DPP’s loss in the 2008 presidential race.
That experience on the night of March 22, 2008, reminded her that it was time to take responsibility for the good of the party and the country, she wrote, adding that it was also one of the primary reasons she decided to run for the leadership of the DPP.
Micro-donations from hundreds of thousands of supporters are the source of her growing confidence as well as a reminder of the enormous expectations Taiwanese have for the DPP, she wrote.
“The silent faith of these people is one big reason why I will work hard for the Taiwanese and this country,” she wrote.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off Yilan at 11:05pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter was located at sea, about 32.3km east of Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.8km, CWA data showed There were no immediate reports of damage. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Yilan County area on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. It measured 4 in other parts of eastern, northern and central Taiwan as well as Tainan, and 3 in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and 2 in Lienchiang and Penghu counties and 1
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‘POLITICAL GAME’: DPP lawmakers said the motion would not meet the legislative threshold needed, and accused the KMT and the TPP of trivializing the Constitution The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), saying he had undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy. The motion was approved 61-50 by lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a legislative majority. Under the motion, a roll call vote for impeachment would be held on May 19 next year, after various hearings are held and Lai is given the chance to defend himself. The move came after Lai on Monday last week did not promulgate an amendment passed by the legislature that
AFTERMATH: The Taipei City Government said it received 39 minor incident reports including gas leaks, water leaks and outages, and a damaged traffic signal A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off Taiwan’s northeastern coast late on Saturday, producing only two major aftershocks as of yesterday noon, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The limited aftershocks contrast with last year’s major earthquake in Hualien County, as Saturday’s earthquake occurred at a greater depth in a subduction zone. Saturday’s earthquake struck at 11:05pm, with its hypocenter about 32.3km east of Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.8km. Shaking was felt in 17 administrative regions north of Tainan and in eastern Taiwan, reaching intensity level 4 on Taiwan’s seven-tier seismic scale, the CWA said. In Hualien, the
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