Tsai Leads 228 Incident Memorial Ceremony|228事件73週年 總統出席中樞紀念儀式

President Tsai Ing-wen attended a government ceremony marking the 73rd anniversary of the 228 Incident on Feb. 28. She announced the imminent release of an important research report on 228 facts and transitional justice, and made three promises about future transitional justice work.


The government marked the 73rd anniversary of the 228 Incident on Feb. 28 with a memorial ceremony. President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Cheng-tsang, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je, and Legislative Speaker Yu Shyi-kun all attended. The public was not allowed to attend as a coronavirus disease 2019 prevention measure, and only family members and representatives of victims were invited. Liao Ying-hao, the grandson of victim Lin Lien-tsung, gave a speech and said he hopes the government's efforts to promote transitional justice won't peter out. He also demanded the immediate demolition of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

If there are victims, then there is an offender. Everyone knows where the offender is, over there (Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall). Its continued existence is like a knife stuck in the heart of every 228 victim. I hope President Tsai and the legislature can help us out.

Tsai personally conferred certificates of restored reputation to the family members and representatives of victims. She also announced the imminent release of a report on 228 facts and transitional justice that took two years to compile. The last important report was issued 14 years ago. Tsai also made three pledges regarding future transitional justice work, which were opening archives, requiring the National Security Bureau to complete the declassification of files within a month's time, and continuing to promote human rights education.

We have already declassified and transferred part of the National Archives Administration's archives, including files on the Lin family murder case and the Chen Wen-chen murder case. We need to open up to the greatest extent and minimize restrictions to allow society to read them and put them to use. I have also requested the National Security Bureau to complete the declassification work within one month's time unless files are presently being used in transitional justice investigations, are political files selected for solicitation, or are one of the few files that can't be declassified in accordance with law.

Tsai said the purpose of the establishment of the Transitional Justice Commission was to unearth historical facts, and it will continue to carry out this mission. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Lin family murder case, and Tsai said the actions of past authoritarian governments can't be repeated and freedom and democracy need to be upheld and cherished.



228事件73週年，在紀念碑前舉行中樞紀念儀式，總統蔡英文，行政院長蘇貞昌台北市長柯文哲，立法院長游錫堃都出席，受到武漢肺炎疫情影響，這次不開放民眾參加，僅邀請受難家屬及代表，其中228受難者林連宗孫子廖英豪致詞時則希望政府推動轉型正義不要虎頭蛇尾，盡快拆除中正紀念堂。

228家屬代表 廖英豪表示：「有受難者就有加害者，加害者在哪裡大家都知道，在那裡(中正紀念堂)。沒把它拿掉，就像一把刀，插在每一個228受害者的心肝裡面，希望蔡總統國會能夠幫忙。」

這次總統蔡英文也親自頒發回復名譽證書給受難家屬代表，更宣布228事件真相與轉型正義報告稿將出爐，這歷時兩年多的研究，是相隔14年再度有重要的研究報告出爐，總統蔡英文也宣示接下來轉型正義工作的三個原則，包括開放檔案，及持續推動人權教育。

總統 蔡英文表示：「已經解密並且移轉檔案局的部分，包括林宅血案，陳文成命案，要以最大開放，最小限制，來開放社會大眾閱覽跟運用。我也要求除非現階段，配合促轉會調查，受到徵集選定的政治檔案，除了極少數依法，還不能解密的檔案，國安局要在一個月內，完成解密的工作。」

蔡總統表示成立促轉會就是要發掘歷史真相，這項任務會繼續運作下去，今年也是林宅血案40週年，過去威權政府的作為不能夠再重演，自由民主必須捍衛與珍惜。