TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The DPP issued a statement on Monday over controversy sparked by the film “The Bloodbath of the Century,” which focuses on the unsolved Lin family murders during the martial law era.
The film was produced without consulting human rights activist Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄), whose mother and twin daughters were killed by unknown assailants after they entered his home on Feb. 28, 1980, while he was on trial. Suspicion has long centered on elements within the then-ruling KMT government. The DPP said it is grateful for Lin and his family’s contributions to Taiwan’s democratic movement and that the case remains a painful scar in Taiwan’s history.
The party said in a Facebook post that remembering the truth, clarifying responsibility, and staying vigilant to avoid repeating past mistakes are shared responsibilities of Taiwanese society, regardless of party affiliation, ethnicity, or generation.
Pursuing transitional justice has long been a core value and position of the DPP, it said. Since 2016, the DPP has advanced and passed a series of laws, including the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice, the Act Governing the Settlement of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations, the Political Archives Act, and the Act on Restoring Victims’ Rights Infringed by Illegal Acts of the State During the Period of Authoritarian Rule.
Independent bodies like the Transitional Justice Commission and the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee have investigated historical truths in accordance with the law and issued a large number of reports, the DPP said. They restored the reputation and rights of victims from the authoritarian era.
The Cabinet’s Transitional Justice Promotion Taskforce has continued to coordinate across ministries to deepen transitional justice efforts since 2022, and these efforts will not stop, the DPP said.
The party said it hoped all sectors of society “will continue to discuss, reflect upon, and commemorate history.” It also called on all political parties to work together to keep advancing transitional justice “so democracy and freedom may endure.”
The film’s joint producers, Feisitu Culture and Entertainment Co. Ltd. and Feng Shang International Culture Media Ltd., issued a statement, saying, “We absolutely meant no disrespect. We were unable to visit and consult (Lin) at the earliest opportunity.”
They pledged to “proactively explain and humbly listen to any opinions or guidance” in the future.
