From: li@sicvax.enet.dec.com (Tong-Kang Li)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan
Subject: Re: Military Reunification
Date: 7 Nov 92 15:22:46 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <1992Nov3.023234.27660@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>, tchuang@cello.ecn.purdue.edu (Tim D. Chuang) writes...
> 
>To Follow up on Neill Tseng's article, I would just like to clarify 2-28;
> 
> he stated that 6 to 10 thousand individuals were killed during the 2-28
>incident in 1947.  
> 
> 
>That is an estimated number of the individuals who were killed in the first
>weeks of March.  The estimate has ranged up to 15 thousand people murdered.
>Those that were murdered were not victims of just random killings.  They 
>were specifically Taiwanese community leaders who were hunted down and 
>murdered.  The weeks following the initial massacres, there have been 
>estimates of up to 15 thousand more Taiwanese murdered by this free and 
>democratic regime.  Since the KMT wishes to pretend that this event never
>happened, there were never any investigations on exactly how many people
>were murdered.
> 
>The population of Taiwan at that time was 6 million.  30,000 of 6 million is
>roughly .5 percent of the population.  If one was to kill off .5% of China,
>than we could see the social devestation such a massacre could do to a society.
>Taiwan society has taken enough punishment from the KMT.  It is time for
>Taiwanese to realize that they must reclaim their own future.  Otherwise,
>regimes like the KMT, PRC, etc. will take their future away from them.

No one really knows how many Taiwanese were killed during the 228 incident.
There is saying that the range is from several hundred to ten-thousand.
I dont know where did you get the exact number. I think Mr. Tseng's number
more correct. But even hundreds, we all know the government handled the 
incident so terribly.

In the beginning of the incident, many WSRs had also been beaten or even 
killed just because rioters found they could not speak Taiwanese or Japanese 
(and many felt hurt and left Taiwan after the incident). But in the end of 
the incident, many Taiwanese elites were put into jail or murdered without 
the trial. That was chaotic time and one of the most sad history in our time. 
And even worse, many of us dont know what was going on until recently. Some 
Taiwanese blames it to WSR. I think it is logically wrong. KMT will punish 
anyone who dared against her at that time no matter who. I think those 
decision makers in the KMT should be blamed.

Last year President Lee and Premier Hau openly apologized for the incident. 
There are some on-going activities, for example, building memorial monument... 
Certainly the government can do more to heal the wound and put it to rest.

But the old KMT is dead though Today's KMT is still morally liable for the 
incident. It is more like Japanese government is morally liable for what 
her ex-warlord government did during WWII. It is the government's 
responsiblity to heal the wound.

Other than that today's KMT is very different from the old one although 
it is still far from perfect. Today's KMT is just one of many political 
parties in Taiwan should not be superior or inferior. As DPP said, after 
this coming election KMT will become legitimate ruling party (if she won). 
Chairman Hsu of DPP said last week that the home-coming of Pong Min-Ming 
(a famous ex-KMT opponent) symbolizes the end of KMT's political repression 
era. Last week Mr. Pong appealed Taiwan people remember the lesson but look 
forward. There are many urgent issues in Taiwan need to be resolved. And 
election is the channel to express your opinion on parties and policies. 
Elect KMT, DPP, or others based on the issues. Let election decide the fate 
of KMT, DPP, or others.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan