228 Memorial Foundation chairman Hsueh Hua-yuan (薛化元) criticized an unnamed governmental organization for its alleged unwillingness to declassify documents relating to the 228 Incident, calling its attitude reflective of the obstacles to declassifying materials regarding the White Terror era.
The 228 Incident refers to a crackdown launched by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) authoritarian regime against civilian demonstrations following an incident in Taipei on Feb. 27, 1947. It also marked the beginning of the White Terror era that saw thousands of Taiwanese arrested, imprisoned and executed.
Hsueh said Academia Historica had put in a great deal of effort to find new files for the 70th anniversary of the massacre this year.
The classification level of the files is low and reluctance to comply with Academia Historica’s declassification request is representative of the overall difficulty of declassifying files on the White Terror era, he said.
Most files are governmental and it is imperative for government organizations to periodically clear out file caches, Hsueh said.
Most archivists are not trained historians, he said, adding that agencies should keep the original files when relocating or archiving them.
“No file relating to transitional justice efforts should be shredded before being examined by academics,” Hsueh said.
Academia Historica director Wu Mi-cha (吳密察) said that only the office of a file’s origin could declassify the documents, adding that the government should amend the Personal Information Protection Act (個人資料保護法).
The law makes some information ralting to the Incident unavailable, Wu said, adding that the situation is “odd” at a time when the nation is trying to discover the facts about the Incident.
Wu also said that the Archives Act (檔案法) lacked sufficient power, as it does not grant access to documents filed by the KMT, adding that the Incident occurred during a time when the line between the party and the state was blurred.
“To understand the Incident, we must look into the KMT’s files, and such changes need to be enacted through the Legislative Yuan,” Wu said.
Academia Historica declined to name the government agency, saying only that it has just recently agreed to declassify related files.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
CHANGES NEEDED: About 84,000 people signed a petition advocating for stronger protection laws, with people traveling from other parts of Taiwan to join the cause A rally in Taipei yesterday called on the government to increase penalties for and protections against child abuse, following the death of a one-year-old boy nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴) in 2023. Kai Kai was allegedly tortured to death on Christmas Eve 2023 by his licensed at-home caregiver, Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱), and Liu’s sister, Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳). The two attended their final court hearing on Wednesday, with sentencing scheduled for Tuesday. The rally, organized by a group called the “Mothers’ Online Group” — a grassroots movement formed on social media by concerned parents and citizens following Kai Kai’s case — took place on
RSS