Families of 228 Victims Fighting for Relocation of Monument 228受難者紀念碑放路旁 家屬難受爭取歸位

Tomorrow is the 228 Peace Memorial Day. According to Yilan County's data, seven victims died at Qinyuan Temple. However, their monument was placed on the side of the temple. The families of victims had been fighting for relocation to the place of incident for years, yet the temple never agreed.

A monument is haphazardly placed on the roadside, with ongoing traffic. This monument, situated at the side of Toucheng Matzu temple plaza, was set up by the county government in memory of the seven victims who died in the 228 Incident. However, the location at a street corner is simply negligible by the public.

Citizen: “Did not notice (not noticeable normally). Yes, I would not notice under normal circumstances.”

Citizen: “(Would you notice it normally) No, I wouldn't notice.”

According to official data, there were at least 33 Feb. 28 victims in Yilan County. Places of calamities started north in Toucheng and spread south to Nanao. The county government set up various monuments in 2016 for victims all around, among which the plaza in front of Toucheng Matzu Temple was the place with the heaviest death toll in the Feb. 28 Incident. Based on official statistics, one of the victims, included Kuo Chang-yuan, the then Superintendent of Yilan Hospital.

Chang Wen-yi, Chairman, Yilan County 228 Victims Family Care Association: “It is now placed on the roadside, really embarrassing and also very disrespectful to the victims.”

Families of victims believe that the location of the monument is in contradiction to history and also expressed directly that it appears very unbecoming and embarrassing. They had long been fighting to relocate the Toucheng monument to the plaza, the place of origin. However, the fight was halted because the temple opposed it as there were no Toucheng residents among the victims, and they try to avoid commemorating dead people in front of goddess Matzu. 

Lai Pei-yun, Religious Etiquette Section Chief, Civil Affairs Department, Yilan County: “We invited the association, district office, temple, and relevant units to establish a platform where people's opinions can be fully communicated and reflected. ”

Although the county government has already assisted the family and temple to set up a platform for communication and promised that it will continue to facilitate communication, the monument had nevertheless been sitting on the roadside all these years. When will that final step of transformational justice be taken? This surely tests the intelligence of public offices.

一座紀念碑，就被擺在車來車往的路邊，這座位在頭城媽祖廟廣場旁的紀念碑，由縣府設置，用來紀念因228事件、死於這個廣場的7名受難者，但設置在路旁轉角，一般民眾根本不會注意。

民眾說：「沒注意， (沒有注意這樣，平常不會注意到。)對，平常不會注意到。」
 

也有民眾說：「（平常會注意到嗎？) 平常沒注意到。」

根據官方資料，宜縣228受難者至少33人以上，受難地點北起頭城、南至南澳，縣政府於2016年為各地受難者立碑紀念，其中又以頭城鎮媽祖廟前廣場，為宜蘭228死傷最慘的事發地。據官方統計一共有7人受難死亡，包含當時宜蘭醫院院長郭章垣。

宜蘭縣二二八受難者家屬關懷協會理事長張文義表示：「它現在擺在路旁，真的很難看，而且也對那些受難者，也是種不尊敬。」

受難家屬認為，紀念碑放路旁，與歷史不符，更直言真的很難看，長年爭取，能將頭城的紀念碑，移到廣場事發地，卻因廟方反對，認為受難者沒有頭城人，加上忌諱在媽祖正神前紀念死人，而無具體進展。

宜蘭縣民政處宗教禮俗科長賴珮芸說：「我們也在去年邀集了協會、公所，以及廟方及相關單位，然後建立一個平台，讓大家的意見，能夠充分的溝通與反映。」

縣府雖已協助家屬、廟方建立平台溝通，並承諾會繼續協助溝通，但多年來這座紀念碑始終擺在路旁，轉型正義的這一步，何時能跨出?考驗公部門智慧。&&