Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Rash of ‘defacements’ hits Chiang Kai-shek statues

Taipei Times

The words “villain” and “killer” were painted on a statue of former president Chiang Kai-shek in Taichung’s Jhongjheng Park, pictured yesterday.
Photo: Chang Ching-ya, Taipei Times

An usually high number of protests targeting statues of former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) have been reported across the nation in the wake of the 68th anniversary of the 228 Incident on Saturday.

A statue of Chiang erected in Taichung City’s Jhongjheng Park (中正公園) was found yesterday morning covered with white and red paint as well as ghost money, with the Chinese characters for “killer” and “villain” spray-painted on its pedestal.

Time to end servile Chiang worship

Taipei Times Editorial

Despite repeated promises from President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) that the government will continue to do everything possible to compensate the families of 228 Incident victims, the majority of them have reacted with skepticism. Perhaps the president should realize that what his administration is lacking is sincerity.

Ma bows, laments, admits that what the government has done is far from enough, yet year after year, the victims’ families slam the government’s efforts to address their grievances.

Tears, controversy mark 228 memorial

Taipei Times

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, left, and President Ma Ying-jeou attend a ceremeony commemorating the victims of the 228 Incident in the 228 Peace Memorial Park in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The painful history of the 228 Incident — and the torment and grief that families of its victims still feel — were brought into sharp focus yesterday by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) when he delivered an emotional speech at the government’s memorial ceremony, after which it appeared that he refused to shake hands with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

Ma is misrepresenting 228 history, researcher says

Taipei Times

A statue of Chiang Kai-shek at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City is decorated yesterday with a hemp mourning garment and signs demanding that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) apologize for its crimes in connection with the 228 Incident.
Screen grab from Internet

With the 68th anniversary of the 228 Incident approaching, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has come under fire from Academia Sinica modern history researcher Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深), who said the administration is misrepresenting history and mitigating the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) responsibility for the 228 Incident.

The very nature of the 228 Incident, a historical tragedy that is the by-product of a clash of different ethnicities, is that it was a massacre of civilians by the KMT government, Chen said.

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