Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Supporters of Taiwanese independence hold a banner reading “World-class murderer” in front of Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall yesterday during the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident.
Photo: AFP

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday pledged to clarify the attribution of responsibility for the 228 Incident in the most discreet manner possible, adding that she hoped future anniversaries of the tragic event could be marked by national unity.

Today is a solemn day marking the beginning of a tragic chapter in the nation’s history. Seventy years ago, the 228 Massacre began; it was a violent crackdown spearheaded by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) authoritarian regime that led to the White Terror era, during which thousands of Taiwanese were arrested, imprisoned and executed.

Many relatives of the massacre victims still do not know the reason for their loved ones’ deaths or the whereabouts of their remains.