The Ministry of Culture yesterday vowed to continue public dialogue as work on transforming the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei progresses.
Since 2017, the ministry has been engaged in discussions over the transformation of the site in Zhongzheng District (中正), it said in a statement.
That process has involved forming an expert advisory panel, building a Web site, curating exhibits and conducting a series of 12 “vision workshops” in the spirit of deliberative democracy, it said.
Photo: CNA
In that time, members of the public have made several recommendations on how the transformation should take place, the ministry said.
With those suggestions, the first phase of the transformation began last year, it said.
The ministry organized a permanent exhibition on human rights, titled Awakening Tide — The Call for Freedom on the Long Road to Democracy (覺醒浪潮 — 迢迢民主路上的自由呼聲), which opened on Nov. 14 last year, as well as other activities, including workshops, lectures and guided tours, it said.
This year, it is to revise the memorial’s leaflet, include perspectives on transitional justice and human rights in guided tours, and work with the Transitional Justice Commission to hold research activities on transitional justice, the ministry said.
It is to partner with New Taipei City’s National Human Rights Museum and the 228 Memorial Foundation to organize an exhibition of artwork created by political victims, and plan an exhibition of archives and historical materials, it said, adding that it hopes “to present the historical truth from an objective and diverse perspective.”
Regarding the honor guard stationed at the memorial, the ministry said that it and the commission would continue to communicate with the Ministry of National Defense and the public to determine what changes to their role would be made.
As the first phase progresses, it would continue to communicate with the public to build a consensus on plans for the second phase, it said.
Earlier yesterday, several groups, including the Northern Taiwan Society, held a news conference in Taipei urging the government to remove statues of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) across the nation.
Additional reporting by Peng Wan-hsin
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