Honest history
Some historians suggest that uncovering and facing up to the facts of history is the only way out.
"Since the government, society and the media, have never had a clear interpretation of precisely what the White Terror was, the real face of history was hidden for decades," said NTU historian Li.
"Nowadays every political figure, when under pressure from others, always claims that he or she is a victim of `political persecution,' but this is nonsense," Li said, adding that the countless victims of political persecution were arrested without evidence and sentenced secretly after the 228 Incident.
"It's ironic that James Soong (宋楚瑜, an independent presidential candidate), who claimed that telephone lines at his campaign centers were wire-tapped, called himself a victim of the White Terror, Li said, adding that the White Terror created an atmosphere of fear.
"Ubiquitous monitoring networks setup by intelligence units confined people both spiritually and physically, and made them fear to say a word about politics," Li said.
Giving Taiwan priority
Li suggested that textbooks have to be revised to provide future generations with a deeper understanding of Taiwan's history.
"If the government could face the history, with all its right and wrong decisions and tell our children the truth, then future generations living on the island would not feel so confused," Li said, adding that Taiwan should be given priority over China in this process.
Historian Huang from the Academia Sinica agrees with Li, saying that stressing the history of Taiwan in textbooks would adjust long-term aberrations in Taiwan's history education.
"The differences among groups in Taiwan could push progress forward as long as all groups, mainlanders, Taiwanese, Hakka people and Aborigines all identify themselves as an important part of this land," Huang said. "Every group should be confident that its existence in Taiwan is a positive factor."
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