Religion is the greatest force to usher change, the German and South African representatives to Taiwan said yesterday at a prayer meeting to mark the 71st anniversary of the 228 Incident.
The event, held at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Taipei, began with a prayer for the 228 Incident, with the organizers saying that the truth about the Incident has yet to be revealed and continues to cast a shadow over the nation.
German Institute Director-General Martin Eberts said that church members played an important role as just and unyielding social figures when Nazis ruled Germany during World War II and Communists ruled East Germany.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
It was the church that helped unite people in those societies, Eberts said, adding that the non-violent way in which it conducted itself to achieve social unity won the church greater support.
South African Representative Robert Matsebe talked about the importance of reflecting on history, citing how his nation’s apartheid regime caused many deaths.
History should not be allowed to repeat itself and it is very important to clarify what responsibilities the aggressors should shoulder, Matsebe said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Victims must be cared for and perpetrators punished, he added.
Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) was also at the prayer meeting.
The 228 Incident refers to an uprising that began on Feb. 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime. The resulting brutal crackdown left tens of thousands dead and led to nearly four decades of martial law.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS