Here’s what Taiwanese lawmakers and thinkers are saying on the 72nd anniversary of the 228 Incident.
The News Lens
Date: 2019/02/28
By: Nick Aspinwall
Credit: Public Domain
Today marks 72 years since Feb. 28, 1947, when protests, spurred by a clash between government officials and an illegal cigarette vendor in Taipei one day earlier, were met with gunfire. The 228 Incident led to a popular uprising met by a violent three-month crackdown which killed an estimated 18,000 to 28,000 people – although this number may be higher – and led to the 38-year, 57-day period of martial law in Taiwan known as the White Terror.
It is important to remember why Taiwan is off from work today. This piece by James X. Morris at The Diplomat is an excellent dive into the history of the 228 Incident. Here at The News Lens, be sure to take a look at this list of facts about 228 you should know. And today, as we hear politicians remember Taiwan’s period of torment and celebrate its remarkable transition into democracy, it is crucial to look at how the 228 Incident, and the subsequent period of White Terror, continue to shape Taiwan today.
Credit: Nick AspinwallA wall shows victims of 228 at Taipei’s National 228 Memorial Museum. Photos have not been found to match the names of many victims.
Continuing the search for the truth
On Wednesday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told an overseas group of family members of victims of the 228 Incident that “we will never forget and we will not stop” seeking the truth. The government will continue to seek to identify potential unrecorded victims of the 228 Incident, she said.
An investigative report on the 1947 crackdown is set to be released in July by the Memorial Foundation of 228, according to its chairman, Hsueh Hua-yuan (薛化元). The foundation is compiling a list of about 2,000 previously unknown victims of the 228 Incident which will be made public before the end of this year, Hsueh said. [FULL STORY]
