The future transitional justice promotion committee is to prioritize the establishment of a national political archive, committee chairman nominee Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) said.
The Executive Yuan on Friday delivered files on the nine committee member nominees to the Legislative Yuan for review.
In his file, Huang said that under his leadership, the committee would work closely with the National Archives Administration to expedite the disclosure of classified political files.
The committee would pour resources into collating overseas political data, Huang said, adding that he hopes that the committee would be able to share its files with the archives agency, the Academia Historica and the National Human Rights Museum.
Another priority is to commission experts to compile an investigative report aimed at “uncovering the truth” about incidents that occurred during the authoritarian era, the documents said.
A team of law, politics, history, social science and human rights experts would write the report, which would not only outline history, but also define the “red line” on human rights that should never be crossed by those in power, Huang said.
Committee member nominee Yang Tsui (楊翠) said in her file that there should not be forgiveness without also holding perpetrators responsible.
Victims should be given the opportunity to share their experiences so that their anguish can be felt by society and serve as a reminder of past mistakes, Yang said, adding that only then could reconciliation be attained.
Committee member nominee Yeh Hung-ling (葉虹靈) said that the vast majority of Taiwanese have a linear assumption that Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and their agents were the main perpetrators of human rights violations.
The committee’s work should include identifying perpetrators within the system and determining their accountability, Yeh said.
Committee member nominee Hsu Hsueh-chi (許雪姬), an expert on interpreting files from the White Terror period, said it is important that the context in which political files were created be taken into account to avoid causing victims or their families more pain.
Although Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) political files that predate World War II are not legally required to be collected, they might help people gain insight into post-war Taiwan, Hsu said.
Only when perpetrators and victims can agree to work together to establish historical facts in the name of promoting human rights and social justice can there truly be mutual trust, committee member nominee Hua Yih-fen (花亦芬) said.
Society has been quick to impose the concept of “live and let live” on the two groups, but it no longer fits today’s society, she added.
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
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
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
RSS