Relatives of victims of the 228 Massacre yesterday criticized former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) over his comments that only about 500 people — instead of the commonly seen estimates of between 20,000 and 30,000 — were killed during the massacre, calling it a baseless rewriting of history.
“What Hau said in a letter to the editor [published in the Chinese-language United Daily News on Tuesday] about the 228 Massacre is unacceptable, because his statement was seriously biased, and was a complete betrayal of historic facts,” said Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋), who accompanied victims’ families in a news conference at the legislature.
“What happened then created pain that has forever been buried in the hearts of the victims’ families, and what Hau did was tantamount to rubbing salt into their wounds. [His words] could trigger ethnic tensions in the country,” Lee said.
In his op-ed, Hau said textbooks were mistaken in their claims that more than 10,000 people were killed during the 228 Massacre, adding that according to his understanding, only a little more than 500 people were killed in the crackdown on the uprising.
Lin Li-tsai (林黎彩), the daughter of a 228 victim and the secretary-general of the 228 Care Association, took out a copy of the Research Report on the 228 Incident published by the Executive Yuan in 1991 and called Hau a liar.
“The official report says that between 18,000 and 28,000 people were killed during the massacre — the research was conducted by the Executive Yuan, and the report was published by the Executive Yuan,” Lin told the news conference. “And you, Hau Pei-tsun, were the premier at the time.”
“Are you trying to deny something that the Executive Yuan under your leadership had concluded?” she asked.
Another victim’s relative, Yang Chen-jung (楊振榮) said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was using the 228 Massacre to make political gains, adding that he should show some real compassion instead.
“Four years ago, you [Ma] said you would dig out all the facts about the tragedy. Well, four years later, serving as both the head of state and of the ruling KMT, [what have you done]? What really happened, who was really killed and where are the missing people? These all still remain a mystery,” Yang said.
The 228 Massacre refers to an nationwide uprising against the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime that broke out on Feb. 27, 1947, two years after the KMT took over Taiwan, because of government corruption and economic hardships under the KMT.
At first, those fighting the KMT won the upper hand. However, the uprising was violently crushed when the regime sent troops from China.
Since the majority of the population in Taiwan at the time were native Taiwanese, while the ruling elite and soldiers were mostly from China, the massacre triggered ethnic tensions and it has sometimes been considered an ethnic conflict.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS