Taiwan will work with democratic partners to address challenges to global democracy, and would not allow any person or power, including external autocratic powers, to deprive it of its democracy and its freedom, President William Lai (賴清德) said at the National Human Rights Museum in New Taipei City yesterday.
Taiwan understands the value of freedom and democracy better than anyone, especially as authoritarianism seeks to expand globally and threaten democracies worldwide, Lai told an event to mark World Human Rights Day, which is on Wednesday.
Taiwan is described as the “lighthouse of democracy in Asia,” Lai said.
Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page
The nation belongs to Taiwanese, and only by bolstering national security can Taiwan’s human rights and freedom continue to be protected, he said.
Taiwan cannot return to martial law, he said, adding that former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) backed human rights in Taiwan in accordance with international standards.
Lai said that his administration would strive to restore the truth about Taiwan’s history, as the truth can help harmonize society and enable future governments to avoid the mistakes of previous administrations.
The government would also preserve sites of injustice and include them in education material so that young people would understand and cherish Taiwan’s hard-won democracy, he said.
Lai said that his administration would continue to seek justice for people who faced hardship or died during the Martial Law period, adding that the government has issued 4,000 restoration of honor certificates to such people or their families.
The certificates would not restore lost lives or time lost in prison, but they show that the government is willing to shoulder responsibility and admit that it was in the wrong, he said.
Transitional justice is not about the past, as it would define what kind of country Taiwan will become, he said, adding that the government would continue to work with civic groups to prompt transitional justice and human rights.
Taiwan is willing to share its experience in resisting authoritarianism with those living under the shadow of oppression and like-minded democratic partners, which would show the world that Taiwan is committed to democracy, and that it stands by peace, human rights and the rule of law, Lai said.
Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) told the event that his ministry would promote Taiwanese films to audiences in Europe to spread the word regarding the nation’s transitional justice efforts and emphasis on human rights issues.
Human rights-related films that won awards at the Taiwan International Human Rights Film Festival would be highlighted, Li said.
The ministry would also continue investigations into sites of injustice and is accepting applications to designate places as areas with transitional justice significance, he said.
The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei hosted part of the film festival, playing Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese)-language films to spread awareness of human rights and Taiwan’s embrace of the concept, he said.
For the entire year, the hall has hosted the Flowers of Freedom exhibition, which shows Taiwan’s progress from the Martial Law period to the current day, he added.
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