Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said he has made efforts to redress the wrongs of the 228 Incident over the past three decades.
Ma made the remarks at a commemorative event for the 74th anniversary of the 228 Incident in Taipei. The event was organized by the Taipei City Government and the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum.
The 228 Incident refers to an uprising in 1947 against the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime and the resulting crackdown that left thousands dead and led to nearly four decades of martial law.
Photo: CNA
The Taiwan Nation Alliance, which was among the event’s original co-organizers, in a statement on Monday said it was withdrawing as co-organizer, citing strong opposition from alliance members against the museum inviting Ma to speak at the event.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun (蔡炳坤) yesterday said he was attending the event on behalf of Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and that Ko’s attitude toward transitional justice is solving current problems first, then preventing similar events from recurring, before holding perpetrators accountable.
Tsai said he met with alliance officials on Tuesday and discussed the group’s withdrawal, adding that he understands and respects its decision, as the alliance faces pressure from its members.
The alliance told its members that it wants to avoid conflict and discord at the event, he said, adding that the alliance is not against its members attending.
The city government would hold related events according to the original plan, Tsai said.
Before delivering his speech, reporters asked Ma about human rights lawyer Lee Sheng-hsiung’s (李勝雄) remark on Monday that Ma’s attendance at the event is “a big insult to the 228 Incident’s victims and Taiwanese.”
“I think the remark is very strange,” Ma said, adding that he has made efforts to redress the wrongs of the Incident for nearly 30 years, such as passing the February 28 Incident Disposition and Compensation Act (228事件處理及補償條例).
His efforts have not stopped, he said.
He has apologized several times since he started promoting 228 Incident-related affairs and events, and if people still hold biased opinions, he would try to persuade them, but they should not neglect his efforts, Ma said.
During his speech, Ma said he has met with many family members of 228 Incident victims, and that it was painful for him as a KMT member and former president to learn the heinous incident of the executions of Chang Chi-lang (張七郎) and two of his sons, Chang Tsung-jen (張宗仁) and Chang Kuo-jen (張果仁).
Ma said he visited Chang Chi-lang’s grave during his time in office, adding that was saddened to learn that Chang’s wife still lives in fear and grief due to the Incident.
Additional reporting by CNA
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