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Group lists reasons why CKS Memorial Hall should not be

A group of young people staged a skit at the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall -- formerly known as the Chiang Kai-shek (CKS) Memorial Hall -- yesterday to highlight the many reasons why they had been opposed to the memorial hall's old name.

The youth were invited by the Hand-in-Hand to Safeguard Taiwan Alliance and the Memorial Foundation of 228 to launch the short theatrical performance designed to remind the public of the "absurdity" of having a memorial hall dedicated to dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), who the group denounced as the culprit of the tragic 228 Incident.

Chiang is considered by many to be the mastermind behind the 228 Incident, which refers to an an uprising against the then Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration that began on Feb. 27, 1947, and which led to the murder of thousands of civilians.

The incident consequently led to four decades of martial law rule by the KMT.

10 reasons

The performers named 10 reasons for opposing a memorial hall for Chiang, not the least of which was the fact that Chiang was a dictator who suppressed the people's rights.

They reminded the general public to ponder the issue thoroughly and help Taiwan come out of the shadows of its past authoritarian rule.

The Cabinet changed the name of the hall to National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall late last month and the Ministry of Education unveiled a name plaque bearing the new name.

It also covered the old name plate with canvas and banners.

intervention

In a bid to prevent the CKS Hall from being altered, the Taipei City Government classified the 27-year-old memorial hall and its surrounding walls as a temporary historical site.

It also fined the ministry for damaging the hall by putting up the banners, citing the Cultural Heritage Protection Law (文化資產保護法).

The law stipulates that a temporary historical site cannot be altered or damaged in any way.

The Taipei City Government and the Ministry of Education have since engaged in a legal fight with the ministry over the hall's name.

Meanwhile, cashing in on their numerical advantage once again, pan-blue lawmakers at a joint committee meeting earlier this month blocked the proposed name change of CKS Memorial Hall and resolved to refer the education minister and his deputy to the Control Yuan for impeachment.
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