TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) on Friday called for promoting transitional justice to prevent the recurrence of past atrocities as Taiwan marks the 79th anniversary of the 228 Massacre.
Cheng on Facebook posted an excerpt from Taiwanese poet Tseng Mei-man’s (曾美滿) “Your Eyes Are a Mirror,” per CNA. “Time constantly bends history, shaping it into a shattered mirror,” one line read.
“The Massacre erupted on Feb. 28, 1947,” Cheng wrote. “On Dec. 10, 1948, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, yet the following year Taiwan entered a long period of martial law and the White Terror.”
Cheng said these dark periods, including events such as the Kaohsiung Incident, became deep wounds in the hearts of many Taiwanese. Yet, successive generations have persevered through oppression, seeking freedom and democracy, she added.
“As freedom and democracy become part of daily life, silence is not an option when facing historical wounds,” she said. “Only by restoring the truth and reflecting upon it can we guarantee it will not happen again.”
