On February 10th, I had an appointment for a PCR test scheduled at NTU Hospital. En route to the hospital, I crossed through 228 Peace Memorial Park. Wanting to make it to my appointment early, I quickly walked through, making a mental note to come back and walk around after my appointment.
Interestingly enough, this particular park is extremely well integrated into the city. Sometimes the most direct way to your destination requires you to walk through this park, which is how I stumbled across this park. I wonder if that was done with intention?
So what is 228, and why does Taipei have a park in the middle of the city to remember this?
From 1895-1945, Taiwan was ruled by the Japanese. Following the end of World War II, which Japan lost, Taiwan was returned to China. Japan's period of rule over Taiwan was far from glamorous, as the Japanese committed many war crimes against the local population during their rule. Despite this, Japanese rule did have some positive impacts on Taiwan. Many of these positive impacts were seen in lifestyle and infrastructure improvements. Even the university I'm currently exchanging to, National Taiwan University (國立臺灣大學), formerly known as Taihoku Imperial University, was established by the Japanese. By 1945 when the Japanese departed, it could be said that most Taiwanese had a relatively favorable perception of the Japanese.
When China reclaimed control of Taiwan, Chen Yi, a general for the Kuomintang (KMT), was primarily in charge of managing Taiwan's affairs. Rather than give the now-vacated government positions to the Taiwanese as the Japanese had done in the past, he opted to have those positions filled by officials from Mainland China. In addition, the local people were further exploited when their goods were monopolized; the government obtained them at a cheap price from locals, then sold at a high markup to Mainland China, where they were facing shortages from an ongoing Civil War. Military troops did not help with improving the KMT's reputation either; they frequently stole, as well as destroyed infrastructure built by the Japanese previously. All of these events reached a tipping point on the night of February 27, 1947.
That night, government agents from the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau confiscated cigarettes from 40-year-old woman, who was selling them illegally in front of a teahouse in Taipei. She asked for her goods and money back, but the agents responded by beating her on the head. Onlookers began to gather, furious. One of the agents responded by firing a shot into the growing crowd, killing a person. The news of this night's events quickly spread, leading to mass protests the morning February 28, 1947.
Protestors marched to the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau, as well as General Chen Yi's office. His guards opened fire on the protestors, leading the Taiwanese to openly rebel against what they viewed to be an oppressive, corrupt government. The KMT sought to suppress this uprising, leading to tens and thousands of deaths over the weeks that followed. "228" marked the beginning of the White Terror (白色恐怖) period in Taiwan, where the KMT ruled with an iron fist through martial law.
Believe it or not, no one was allowed to say anything about the 228 Massacre, which was considered "top secret" until 1995, when the president at the time, President Lee Teng-Hui, who was a victim of 228 himself, issued a formal apology on behalf of the government. February 28th was declared a national holiday, officially known as Peace Memorial Day, meant to honor and remember the victims of the 228 Massacre.
Learning about the history behind "228" has made me think about the state of democracy and freedom of speech. As someone who has ties to the United States, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, it's interesting to see how these places have grown (or maybe regressed) in freedom over the decades. At the end of the day, a citizen having the right to push for what they believe for is truly a mark of democracy. When freedom of speech is suppressed, it may be 45 years or even longer before the people who have suffered can even speak up about their experiences without fear of consequence. It's eye opening to see how the official acknowledgement of the 228 Massacre in 1995 marked a turning point for democracy not only in Taiwan, but around the world.
Thanks for reading and until the next post, see you!
Deborah
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