228 Massacre

228 Anniversary Reminds of Continued Struggle for Transitional Justice in Taiwan

Brian Hioe
On the 76th anniversary of the 228 Massacre, commemorations were held to memorialize the event, traditionally viewed as the start of the decades-long White Terror that followed. This includes many events held annually, such as the Gongsheng Music Festival–the indie rock festival held on Ketagalan Boulevard organized by civil society groups–as well as commemorations by the government. Nevertheless, the anniversary of the 228 Massacre should point to how the pan-Blue camp in Taiwan has generally sought to avoid reckoning with its authoritarian past...
EnglishFebruary 2023Self-DeterminationSocial MovementsYouth Movements7 min read

73rd Anniversary of the 228 Massacre Should Remind of Taiwan’s Incomplete Democratic Transition

Brian Hioe
On the 73rd anniversary of the 228 Massacre, what should be remembered is to what extent the crimes of the White Terror have not been accounted for in Taiwan. More broadly speaking, this points toward the long path to be walked for transitional justice in Taiwan, as well as how Taiwan’s incomplete democratic transition is a result of the continued existence of the KMT...
EnglishFebruary 2020Politics6 min read

The Authoritarian We Could Not Pull Down: A Strange Tale of Pro-Independence Youth

吳采致
In January 2017, the Free Taiwan Party posted a Facebook status: “Pro-Independence takes a stand! Come pull down the Chiang Kai Shek statue on February 28th at the Freedom Plaza!” As a young supporter of Free Taiwan Party and a supporter of the action of pulling down authoritarian statues, I documented and witnessed the actions on site during this time...
EnglishMarch 2017Self-DeterminationSocial Movements23 min read