An alliance of civic groups yesterday called on the incoming administration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to introduce legislation to address injustices perpetrated by the government during Taiwan’s authoritarian era, thereby facilitating efforts to realize transitional justice.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is leaving office soon, but the Cabinet has not yet delivered several pieces of major legislation regarding transitional justice, Taiwan Forever Association deputy director Huang Hui-yu (黃慧瑜) told a news conference in Taipei, adding that Tsai had pledged that they would be passed by the end of last year.
As the new president, it is Lai’s duty to inform the public whether he intends to pick up from where the Tsai administration left off and finalize the work to accomplish transitional justice in his first term, Huang said.
The pending bills include a draft bill to push forward national transitional justice, a draft bill on the preservation of historical sites of injustice and a draft bill on the identification and disposition of perpetrators, Huang said.
In addition, the Cabinet has not yet made known its decision on whether to amend or repeal the Organization Act of National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Management Office (國立中正紀念堂管理處組織法), she said, referring to calls from the public to remove the giant statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正) from the memorial hall in Taipei dedicated to the former president.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, which oversees the hall’s management office, should begin work to transform the hall, which would not require legislation — for example, by shuttering the hall and canceling the nine daily “changing of the guard” ceremonies, she said.
Those demands were part of a joint statement signed by more than 30 civic groups calling for the new administration to step up efforts to push for transitional justice.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) said that the DPP caucus is outnumbered by opposition lawmakers in the legislature.
Popular demand would therefore be key to passing legislation promoting transitional justice, she said.
Taiwan Association of University Professors head Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) asked the DPP to refrain from using its lack of a legislative majority as an excuse for inaction over transitional justice.
The DPP also had a legislative minority under former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), but it was much more vocal in its demand for transitional justice than it is now, Chen Li-fu said.
Lai was one of the DPP members who was vocal in advocaing for past government-perpetrated injustices to be redressed before the party came into power, and he should work to reconnect the party with its roots, Chen Li-fu said.
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