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Home Editorials of Interest Jerome F. Keating's writings Taiwan Commemorates 2-28 When the KMT Began to Seriously Enforce its One-Party State

Taiwan Commemorates 2-28 When the KMT Began to Seriously Enforce its One-Party State

When WWII ended, Taiwan began to be denuded of everything from rice to steel to anything that could be used in the KMT's losing effort in China. But Taiwan's troubles are clearly marked by 2-28, er-er-ba, when the seething mistreatment boiled over with the striking of a street vendor selling contraband cigarettes and the shooting of an innocent protester. This brought about the upcoming Martial Law and White Terror in which over 30 thousand Taiwanese were killed and/or disappeared and thousands more would be imprisoned.

Under the hypocritical guise of being pro-democracy the KMT subsequently began its one party state that would last for near a half a century. The irony is that Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan were able to achieve democracy within a decade and with no persecution or jailing of individuals in contrast to the allegedly free Taiwan.

Even now, families of those who suffered are finally being allowed to access the files and find out what happened to many of their lost family members. But the current KMT government is charging them hundreds of US dollars just to get their files. Transitional justice has still not been served.


Source: Jerome F. Keating's writings



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Newsflash


Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai on Aug. 24 leads the city government in his administration’s swearing-in ceremony.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times

Three amendments proposed by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, which would abolish government tributes to Republic of China (ROC) founder Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), on Friday passed their first reading at the Legislative Yuan, where they are expected to spark controversy among Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, who have proposed their own amendments.