A number of academics yesterday rebutted recent comments by former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村), who questioned the number of people killed in the 228 Incident in 1947 tragedy.

In a forum hosted by the Taiwan Association of University Professors, association president Chang Yen-hsien (張炎憲) said Hau’s suggestion that only about 500 people were killed was not based on historical facts.