Victims of political persecution and their families yesterday voiced support for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), while expressing the hope that she would pursue transitional justice if she is elected in January’s presidential election.
An alliance of four major associations of political victims consisting of victims of the 228 Massacre and the White Terror era announced the formation of a booster club for the DPP’s presidential candidate at a press conference.
The younger generation should be grateful to those who sacrificed their youth, bodies and even lives for the democratization of Taiwan, Tsai told about 300 victims and their families.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
“History should be remembered. Those who should be held accountable for their mistakes should be identified. However, it will not be done for the purpose of retaliation nor for revenge,” Tsai said, adding that the White Terror era would not be repeated if Taiwanese safeguard their democracy and sovereignty.
Transitional justice was not fully carried out during the previous DPP administration, Taiwan Association of University Professors president Chang Yen-hsien (張炎憲) told the press conference.
Victims were disappointed that “perpetrators were not identified and held accountable, even though they [victims] were compensated by the government,” Chang said.
“We support Tsai Ing-wen because we hope that Taiwan will be a country of human rights and justice under her leadership,” Chang said.
Noting that yesterday was Retrocession Day, a national holiday to mark the takeover of Taiwan by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government, former presidential adviser Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) said it was a meaningful day to establish Tsai’s booster club.
“The January election will not only have an impact on the current generation, but future generations as well,” he said.
In related news, Tsai’s first autobiography hit the shelves nationwide yesterday after a seven-day pre-order period.
The book, titled From Scrambled Eggs with Onions to Little Ing Lunchboxes — The Life Experiences of Tsai Ing-wen (洋蔥炒蛋到小英便當，蔡英文的人生滋味), was made available through online retailers on Oct. 18.
Tsai described how her life has changed after seeing three people — a DPP supporter in his 70s, DPP spokesperson Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and Tsing Hua University professor Yao Jen-to (姚人多) — in tears after the DPP’s loss in the 2008 presidential race.
That experience on the night of March 22, 2008, reminded her that it was time to take responsibility for the good of the party and the country, she wrote, adding that it was also one of the primary reasons she decided to run for the leadership of the DPP.
Micro-donations from hundreds of thousands of supporters are the source of her growing confidence as well as a reminder of the enormous expectations Taiwanese have for the DPP, she wrote.
“The silent faith of these people is one big reason why I will work hard for the Taiwanese and this country,” she wrote.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s
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