As the nation prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident, Premier Lin Chuan said that as a free and democratic society, Taiwan must face this event as an important historical fact and take appropriate action to heal society's wounds.
Facts are the foundation of transitional justice, and it is therefore important to first understand the truth about 228, the premier said of the 1947 anti-government uprising that was violently repressed. He made the remarks while meeting with a group of survivors living overseas who had returned to Taiwan to commemorate the event.
While history has shown that revolutions are often accompanied by persecution of society's elites, the 228 Incident also had its roots in the political factors of the time, and perhaps the authoritarian regime that was in control, the premier said. Today, Taiwan is a democratic, free and liberal society, and the government hopes to restore the truth, understand the facts, and discuss ways to heal society's wounds. It is the government's obligation to restore justice to the victims and clear their names.
Now that times have changed, the government can do more to redress other injustices of the past, the premier continued. The Legislative Yuan has, for instance, approved the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations to ensure a level playing field for political parties. It is also reviewing a bill that promotes transitional justice. And because many historical documents are still classified, the facts are fragmented and incomplete, so the Executive Yuan is promoting amendments to the Archives Act to release more materials and make more facts available to the public.
Designating April 7 as Freedom of Speech Day in Taiwan is another important step in Taiwan's pursuit of transitional justice and democratic development, he added.