Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Understanding the lessons of 228

Hsueh Hua-yuan 薛化元

The 228 Incident, which took place in 1947, is a major human rights event in Taiwanese history. The administration of the time lacked any legal grounds for ordering the massacre that caused tremendous suffering and death to the elite and ordinary people.

However, it was not until 1987 — when democracy and human rights activist Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕) and Saint Mary’s Hospital Luodong superintendent Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興) founded the association for 228 Peace Memorial Day and challenged the taboo surrounding the Incident — that then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) began to officially address this matter.

China flight route heightens tensions

Taipei Times Editorial

China has unilaterally created a new flight route, M503, along the Taiwan Strait median line, originally due to come into effect today. Amid rigorous objections by the ruling and opposition parties in Taiwan, and protests by civic groups on Sunday, Taiwan and China reached a consensus to postpone the implementation of the new route, to use it on a trial basis and to maintain communication about progress.

Although the controversy has been set aside for the time being, the situation remains tense and Taiwan must remain vigilant.

Singing protesters decry flight route

Taipei Times

People protest in front of the branch offices of China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines in Taipei yesterday, demanding that Beijing withdraw the proposed M503 flight route.
Photo: Hsiao Ting-fang, Taipei Times

More than 100 demonstrators yesterday sang in unison outside the Taipei office of China Southern Airlines to express their opposition to controversial flight routes proposed by Beijing.

Headed by a coalition of social advocacy organizations and pro-independence groups, the protesters demanded that China cancel its plans for flight route M503, which runs close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Claims over victory in Pacific war are hollow

James Wang 王景弘

Acting on the Cabinet’s instructions, the Ministry of National Defense is planning activities to mark the 70th anniversary of China’s war of resistance against Japan.

The emphasis will be on the idea that the government of the Republic of China (ROC) played the leading role in the war, in case people have a different impression. Some Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators have also called on the ministry to organize a military parade as a way of vying with China for the right to talk about the “victorious resistance.”

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