Premier Su Tseng-chang (
"Many of the victims of the 228 Incident are long gone and documentation is very difficult to come by. The foundation put a lot of effort and time into gathering crucial information for its report. I commend their efforts and express my appreciation," Su said.
Speaking during the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday morning, Su said that the government wanted to emphasize its endorsement of the foundation's report, which was published last year.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"We owe the victims of the 228 Incident a great debt. This is [payment for] just part of [that debt]," Su said.
The Cabinet commissioned the foundation to produce a report on the incident in 1992 with a view to retelling the story as accurately as possible. The report concluded that dictator Chiang Kai-shek (
Su said that the foundation would not cease to function now that the report had been produced.
"The publication of this report will not be the foundation's final act. On the contrary, the foundation will have an annual budget of NT$300 million [US$9 million]," Su said.
Su said the Democratic Progressive Party, since coming to power in 2000, had attempted to make reparations to the relatives of 228 Incident victims.
Although the Regulations for Handling of and Compensation for the 228 Incident (
"We need to keep compensating victims' family members for the loss of their loved ones. We also need a government office to continue the work of human rights protection and promotion," Su said.
During the Cabinet meeting, officials also came to an agreement that the national flag will fly at half-mast on Feb. 28 every year.
Su also announced that the Taiwan Post Co (
"This is another small gift from the government to the relatives of 228 Incident victims," Su said.
In related news, Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said that Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall could be converted into a memorial for all of Taiwan's elected presidents.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements 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,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference