Eighty years after their resistance against the Japanese colonial government, Sediq Aborigines in Nantou County will host their first series of memorial events starting next week and lasting until Oct. 27, the actual anniversary of the Wushe Incident (霧社事件).
“It’s been 80 years since [the Wushe Incident] occurred, but we descendants of those who fought fiercely against the Japanese have never been given the chance to talk [about it] and tell the story from our side,” Mona Pawan, a great--grandson of a major leader of the armed -resistance, Mona Ludo, told a press conference held to announce the events.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
“Several movies have been made and novels written based on the historic event, but these movies and novels tell the story somewhat differently from what we’ve been told by our grandparents or great-grandparents. There have also been a number of -government-organized memorial events, but never our own,” Mona Pawan said. “So I think it’s time for us to speak for ourselves and to remember our ancestors.”
The series of events include a tour of the former battleground and the caves where Mona Ludo and others hid during their war with the Japanese and later committed suicide after realizing they were losing the battle. There will also be conferences on the historic event and a memorial ceremony on Oct. 27.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) of the Sediq Tribe, who helped to organize the events, said he has sent an invitation to the Japanese envoy in Taiwan.
“I haven’t heard back yet, but it would be great if he could come — this is the chance for reconciliation,” Kung said.
The Wushe Incident refers to Sediq Aborigine resistance against the Japanese colonial government, which was led by several Sediq headmen, including Mona Ludo, that began with a surprise attack on Japanese officials and civilians gathered at a sports event on Oct. 27, 1930.
At first, the Sediq gained the upper hand, but the Japanese soon manipulated warriors from a Sediq sub-tribe called Toda to launch a tribal campaign against the Sediq guerrillas. The Japanese finally defeated the Sediq by using a poison gas — a blister agent similar to mustard gas — banned by the League of Nations.
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