Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
To work toward reconciliation with 228 survivors and family members of those who were killed, Ma yesterday presented flowers to them at the 228 Incident monument in 228 Memorial Park, Chiayi County.
He pledged to compile autobiographies of the victims, establish a national 228 memorial park and continue research into the crackdown if elected.
BLOCKED BUDGET
In response to pan-green camp criticism over the KMT's obstruction of the budget for the Statute for the Handling of and Compensation for the 228 Incident (
Declining to respond to follow-up questions, Ma said the pan-green camp should not politicize the issue.
Ma acknowledged the KMT's "political" responsibility for the 228 Incident, but added that the violent crackdown should be remembered today with tolerance and compassion.
NEW ERA
Ma said that more people look on the events of that day in 1947 with tolerance and forgiveness. The commemoration of the incident should enter a new era and the public should work together to ensure that future generations have a profound understanding of the 228 Incident, tempered by love and tolerance.
"Families of the victims can choose whether to forgive the government or not. As we [the KMT] face mistakes made in the past, however, we have no choice but to recognize our mistakes and apologize," he said.
The memory of "the incident is very painful for many people and recognizing historical mistakes and offering apologies aren't enough," Ma said. "Only by helping future generations remember this historical event can we prevent similar mistakes from happening."
The KMT and Ma's campaign team also held a 228 remembrance concert last night at Chungshan Hall in Taipei City and arranged blood donation collection efforts around the country.
Ma's spokesman Tsai Shih-ping (
‘FRIENDSHIP FLEET’: A CGA official is scheduled to meet with the president of the Pacific nation, while one of the ships is to host a banquet and National Day event Two Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol vessels have docked at Malakal Harbor in Palau as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr, the agency said yesterday. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu, set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived on Tuesday at Malakal Harbor, the CGA’s Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marks the second time the CGA has dispatched a “friendship fleet” to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien and
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) today said that two of its patrol vessels have docked at Palau's Malakal Harbor as part of an expedition exercise and diplomatic visit, during which a senior official is expected to meet with the Palauan president. The two vessels, the 4,000-tonne-class Chiayi (嘉義) and the 1,000-tonne-class Penghu (澎湖), set sail for Palau from Taiwan last week and arrived at Malakal Harbor yesterday, the CGA's Fleet Branch said in a statement. The journey marked the second time the CGA has dispatched a "Friendship Fleet" to another country, after it sent its first-ever goodwill fleet, comprising the Hualien (花蓮)
Two executives of drone supplier Jiin Ming Industry Co (錦明實業) have been detained and held incommunicado over the company's alleged use of prohibited China-made chips and camera lenses in drones supplied under recent military contracts, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office said today. In a statement, prosecutors said they raided the offices of Jiin Ming — headquartered in Taoyuan — as well as those of its subsidiaries and its suppliers on Thursday last week. The raids followed a report that the company had breached its procurement contracts by putting the prohibited components into drones delivered to the military. During the raids, prosecutors summoned
DETAILED PLAN NEEDED: Relocating the airport would affect not just travelers, but also undermine national defense and emergency medical services, a legislator said Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) yesterday proposed relocating Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and turning the site into an artificial intelligence (AI) park, drawing opposition from politicians across party lines. Chiang’s plan would turn the 300 hectares into an AI park featuring tech clusters, residential communities and green space. The industrial cluster would host 200 domestic enterprises, generate NT$12 trillion (US$376.47 billion) in output, and accommodate 65,000 jobs and 35,000 residents, he said. Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said the Executive Yuan was surprised by the announcement, as the Taipei City Government did not discuss the proposal with the central government before making
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