Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday defended former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) amid objections to his appearance at an event commemorating the 228 Incident.
The Incident refers to an uprising in 1947 against the then-KMT regime and the resulting crackdown that left thousands dead and led to nearly four decades of martial law.
Ma is scheduled to speak at an event on Sunday at 228 Peace Park (二二八和平公園) organized by the Taipei City Government to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Incident.
Photo: screen grab from Facebook
The Incident is a “common grief of Taiwanese,” and people should not be excluded from remembrance of the Incident, Chiang wrote on Facebook.
Ma has made efforts to pursue the truth about the Incident, to redress its wrongs, and to compensate and apologize for the Incident since he was elected the mayor of Taipei, Chiang wrote.
In 2005, Ma, in his capacity as KMT chairman, apologized to family members of victims of the Incident on behalf of the KMT, Chiang wrote.
Over the past few days, some people have objected to Ma’s attendance at a memorial event, and accused the former president of failing to express regret and apologize for the Incident, he wrote.
“If even contemporary facts are erased and distorted, how can we truly face history?” he wrote.
The Incident was a traumatic event in the nation’s history and resulted in tragedy for many families, he wrote.
“Therefore, we must all face the past more humbly ... and reject the political abuse of old scars,” he wrote.
“Only this way can we truly learn from history and make the anniversary [of the 228 Incident] the foundation of Taiwan’s social reconciliation,” he wrote.
“The path to truth and reconciliation is still long,” he wrote, adding: “We will continue to work hard.”
Meanwhile, former KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday wrote on Facebook that he and New Taipei City 228 Association director-general Hung Hsien-chao (洪顯詔) visited 99-year-old Tseng Chung-ying (曾仲影), a victim and survivor of the Incident.
“While clarifying the truth, past hatred and antagonism cannot come back,” Chu wrote, calling for peace.
Additional reporting by CNA
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