The families of nearly 200 people killed in the beginning of the White Terror era have complained that a memorial park in Taipei’s Liuzhangli (六張犁) commemorating the victims of political persecution has fallen into disrepair due to government negligence, an act of neglect they branded as being disrespectful of the dead.
The Park Commemorating Victims of Political Persecution during the Martial Law Period’s (戒嚴時期政治受難者紀念公園) First Cemetery on Chongde Street in the city’s Xinyi District (信義) is covered with leaves and weeds, and strewn with cement bricks. Some of its tombstones have been toppled over, and trash and empty bottles lie strewn everywhere.
The memorial was established in 2003 to honor nearly 200 victims of political persecution between 1949 and 1953. Each tombstone is no bigger than a brick, on which the name of the victim and the date of their death are inscribed.
Photo: Chen Yen-chun, Taipei Times
One of the victims’ family members who complained about the park’s upkeep, a woman surnamed Huang (黃), said a cemetery manager has been put in charge of the facility’s maintenance, but due to its size and a lack of staff, the task of maintaining the park was next to impossible.
She expressed hope that the government would be more attentive to the issue and properly take on the responsibility for the park’s maintenance.
Taipei Mortuary Services Office Director Wu Kun-hong (吳坤宏) said the office outsourced the maintenance of the graveyard to a cleaning company at the beginning of the year, but the contract was terminated due to the company’s financial instability. The government will find a new contractor to take over the task, he added.
Photo: Chen Yen-chun, Taipei Times
Lin Chuan-kai (林傳凱), a researcher who has worked for years on the history of the White Terror era and its victims, said the public sector has taken only nominal care of the memorial park since its establishment, with most of the cleaning being done by the victims’ families and related groups.
However, the topography and relatively soft soil of the First Cemetery site make it necessary for the authorities to carry out any restoration efforts, Lin said.
He suggested that the government better publicize information about the people interred at the cemetery who lost their lives in the White Terror era and produce a visitor’s guide to the monuments to help the public better understand this period in the nation’s history.
Among the many renowned figures honored at the park is Huang Jung-tsan (黃榮燦), who created the now famous printed engraving The Horrifying Inspection (恐怖的檢查) in the aftermath of the 228 Incident.
The 228 Incident refers to the brutal military crackdown launched by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime against civilian demonstrations in 1947, following an incident in Taipei on Feb. 27.
The event marked the beginning of the White Terror era, in which tens of thousands of Taiwanese were killed, went missing or were imprisoned as the government sought to stamp out dissent and forbade any discussion of the Incident.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS