The Cross Strait Times

Sixty years ago, the arrest of a cigarette vendor in Taipei triggered the greatest tragedy in recent Taiwanese history.  The 228 protests and the subsequent massacre is certainly a dark page in KMT history.  Its causes were complex, and the exact death toll remains unknown, but the blame lays at the door of the KMT party-state that governed Taiwan following the retrocession from Japan.  Fortunately for both the KMT and the families of those affected by the massacre, the KMT is starting to make amends.  True, what the KMT has done so far is not nearly enough, but it is a step in the right direction.

Even though Ma Ying-jeou is no longer KMT Chairman, his media presence and therefore representation of the Pan-Blue camp at the 60th Anniversary Memorial rally was appropriate.  Sure, it was upstaging acting KMT chairman Wu Po-hsiung and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng but much needed for the healing of the Mainlander-Native rift.

Obviously, a problem preventing the KMT from truly wiping the slate clean and having the wounds heal entirely is that the “Old Guard” really doesn’t have much of an interest in truly apologizing, and they’re the ones still in power.  Thankfully, the next generation is more willing to make amends, as seen from Ma’s attempts during his time as KMT chairman to do what he can.  So what else can and should the KMT do?

1. Very, very, very (I can’t stress this enough) public apologies for what happened.  Ma gave the KMT a good start at last year’s and this year’s 228 memorial, but more needs to be said.
2. The KMT needs to back an unbiased (or at least, joint) investigation into uncovering the details and real history of 228. 
3. Pay reparations to the families of the victims.  The KMT is internally debating on whether it should come entirely from themselves or from the government, as in 1947 the party and state were one and the same.
4. Liquidate party assets stolen from the Taiwanese during the White Terror (some sources say most of this is in the process — I need to do some fact checking to verify).

True, 228 has been exploited by both the Pan-Greens and Pan-Blues for their political advantages, and it needs to stop.  Today’s KMT is no longer the oppressive, authoritarian regime under Chiang Kai-shek.  The leaders are different.  The members are different.  The ideology is different.  The party is just one of many political parties in Taiwan.  And it must be noted, that it was the KMT’s decision to democratize Taiwan in the 1980’s — it could have held onto power forever under martial law, but it didn’t.  The KMT says that the records on 228 are already open to the public.  If true, then they have taken a big step forward in doing the right thing.  Let’s just hope that they keep doing it.

The healing needs to happen, and the ball is in the KMT’s court to do something about it.  The KMT does not deny that 228 happened, and the more willing the KMT is to own up to its past, the less mileage the DPP will be able to get out of exploiting the tragedy for their own political benefit.  Instead of using 228 Peace Memorial Day to divide Taiwan, let’s learn to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.