Taiwan Matters! The PRC flag has never flown over Taiwan, and don't you forget it!

"Taiwan is not a province of China. The PRC flag has never flown over Taiwan."

Stick that in your clipboards and paste it, you so-called "lazy journalists"!

Thanks to all those who voted for Taiwan Matters!
in the Taiwanderful Best Taiwan Blog Awards 2010!
You've got great taste in blogs!

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

permalink

Erroneous 228 ceremony

The ceremony in 228 Memorial Park, Taipei, was blocked with police tapes.
In one of his recent articles ( 錯謬的二二八紀念形式), Lu Li (路犁), the founder of one of the most popular pan-green forums (Anti-Media 與媒體對抗), talked about a 228 ceremony that was wrongfully conducted by the current government. The ceremony was held in 228 Memorial Park in Taipei, filled with high officials of central and local government's, but some families of 228 victims were denied the right of participation.

Lu Li mentioned that 228 belongs to all people and should not be considered a platform for some special class of people:

228歷史事件是屬於民族的(如果台灣人是個民族的話)、全體人民的重大歷史事件,如果是--事實上也是--人民的重大歷史事件,這類紀念活動應該是開放性的全民自由參予。
The historical 228 event belongs to the entire nation (if all Taiwanese are considered a nation), entire people. If so, then such a ceremony should allow all people to participate freely.

當228紀念活動弄成是今日這類特定人士的、管制形式的參予時,距離全民的228重大歷史事件紀念,必然還有一段相當遙遠的路要走。國民黨一再抗拒承認歷史的罪過,導致228真相難以釐清,而執政7年的民進黨如果不懂得揚棄、且還繼承了國民黨那套威權式的「中樞紀念儀式」,這等於間接阻礙廣大人民力量逼迫國民黨承認歷史罪過的力道。
When the 228 ceremony became one that only some special people are allowed to participate, it will be a long way before it becomes a whole-nation ceremony of critical historical event. While KMT continuously denies her responsibility of historical crime, which results in more difficulty to reveal the truth, if the DPP, who has being the government for 7 years, was unable to escape from the authoritarian style of "central government ceremony", it would be even harder for the people to force KMT to admit her historical crime.

Taipei Mayor Hou Long-Bing (郝龍斌) while one of 228 victim's families, who protested in a peaceful way, was blocked away by the police.
The ceremony was organized to have high officials giving speeches on the stage, including the current Taipei Mayor Hou Long-Bing (郝龍斌), who is one of the successors of KMT -- the party responsible for the 228 massacre in 1947. At the same time, one of families of 228 victims were not only kept away from the ceremony but seemed to be escorted away by the police.


身負228事件政治原罪的國民黨當權派郝龍斌,卻被奉為上賓的侃侃而談,這樣的民進黨能展現出什麼樣的「轉型正義」的意志?
(when 228 victims' relatives were rejected) The KMT successor Hou Long-Bing, carrying the political crime of 228 event, was treated as a guest and allowed to give a speech on the stage. What kind of "transforming justice" DPP is trying to convey?

當228事件真相尚未釐清的今日!當228事件元兇尚未完成法律定位的今日!身為總統的陳水扁以及身為行政院長的蘇貞昌理應心中有愧的坐在台下,恭敬的傾聽228事件受害當事人及其家屬的抗議、報怨與指責才是,怎麼變成主客易位的由怠惰的國家元首及最高行政首長上台發表高論,這些身負不同責任的政府官員有什麼正當基礎?要228事件受害當事人及其家屬,在真相未明的情況下必須在台下忍受與聆聽!
The truth of 228 event hasn't been revealed! The criminal(s) of 228 incident haven't been indicted! The president Chen Shui-Bian (陳水扁) and Head of Executive Yuan Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) are supposed to sit on the seats below the stage humbly to listen to the protest, the complaint, and the accusations coming from 228 victims and their families. How come it turns out to be that these slothful high officials were giving speeches on the stage ? What justifiable basis these governmental officials -- who carry varying degree of responsibility for not seeking the truth -- have to give such speeches to the 228 victims and families who have to tolerate and listen ?

Indeed, this arrangement has turned the relationship between KMT and the people from "murderers vs. victims" into "authority vs. people", which violates the principle of democracy in which the people should be the master and the government is only the servant.

While calls for justice seem to become a widely accepted concept in this 60 year anniversary of 228 massacre, a ceremony like this probably contributes little -- if any -- to the closure of this historical tragedy.

2 Comments:

At 9:32 AM, Blogger Michael Turton said...

Great post, Echo. Good to see you around and posting. More! More!

Michael

 
At 3:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good insight Echo. Pleased to see your contribution and insight.
There are still many within the KMT that don't understand democratic principles but that issue doesn't get enough attention in the English language media.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Earlier Posts