Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (
For the sake of transitional justice, renaming the hall so that it no longer commemorates the late dictator Chiang Kai-shek (
The question that remains is: How should Taiwan's democracy be commemorated?
The Taiwan Democratic Movement Hall (
Put another way, the establishment of a Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall is not a sign that Taiwan's democracy has borne fruit or is close to perfection. Rather, we should follow Lin's example and acknowledge and reflect on our shortcomings.
Of course, the development of democracy in Taiwan is unique. During the Japanese colonial era, Taiwanese intellectuals set up organizations for cultural and social movements and demanded the creation of a Taiwanese parliament. The Japanese colonial government responded by allowing the holding of Taiwan's first elections on Nov. 22, 1935. Other milestones on the path to Taiwanese democracy include the 228 Incident, the declaration of martial law, the "eternal" legislature elected in China in 1948 (and which remained until 1992) and the banning of parties and newspapers.
It is essential that those in charge of the exhibitions planned for the new Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall gather materials that shed light on important moments in our history, such as late president Chiang Ching-kuo's (蔣經國) decision to lift martial law. If the veil of secrecy that shrouds certain political incidents is lifted, the public will discover the great sacrifices that certain individuals have made. This knowledge could also inform certain policy decisions and is an important element of transitional justice.
The establishment of a high-quality museum requires expertise, money and time. Unfortunately, the Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall was created by means of an administrative order only -- there is no organizational law pertaining to the new memorial as there was to the old Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. As such, the hall has been downgraded from a third-tier administrative body to a fourth-tier body -- and its budget has been reduced commensurately.
But this is just one of the many challenges that the caretakers of the new memorial must overcome. If it is to be a success, Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall must promote communication, mutual respect and understanding, rather than the discord that the old memorial came to represent.
Chen Yi-shen is an associate researcher in the Institute of Modern History at Academia Sinica.
Translated by Lin Ya-ti
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