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President Ma's Remarks at Opening of International Holocaust Remembrance Day
2016-01-27

Mr. Asher Yarden, Representative, Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei (ISECO);
Mr. Martin Eberts, Director General, German Institute Taipei;
Representatives and members of the diplomatic corps in Taiwan, the Republic of China;
Friends from the media;
Ladies and gentlemen:

Good day!

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as designated by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, and also marks the 71st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. Today is also the first time that the Republic of China is holding commemorative activities in honor of this solemn occasion. On behalf of the government and people of the Republic of China, I am joining all of you today to show our sincere respect, and testify to the significance of this day of remembrance.

I. Origin of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day

History has taught us that without peace, we cannot realize economic development, progress on the path of democracy, and the protection of human rights. Looking back on World War II, over 70 years ago, we see that the inhuman slaughter of the battlefield was not the only source of human sacrifice and misery. The human rights of citizens living under the wartime regime were also ruthlessly expropriated. But it was not until January 27 of 1945 when Soviet troops entered Poland and liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp that the world came to know of the cruel atrocities perpetrated by Germany’s Nazi Party and its accomplices during World War II.

In 2005 the United Nations passed a resolution declaring January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. That resolution “Urges Member States to develop educational programmes that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide…” It further “Rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or part….”

Today, we can see the victims and the perpetrators of this historic tragedy come together, in the same venue, and commemorate the past with solemn respect, and a sense of equanimity. So clearly, in humanity’s quest for peace over the past seven decades, efforts by both sides to achieve mutual understanding through forgiveness and self-reflection have not been in vain. And people the world over should be gratified by what they have achieved. Such an event has not occurred between other perpetrators and their victims, such as in East Asia. This is why today’s event is so worth commemorating and Germany is so worth praising. I tip my hat to Germany for its wonderful efforts in the past decades.

II. Germany faces the past, undergoes rigorous self-reflection, and becomes a paragon of conscience

To come to grips with the pain and mistakes of war, Germany, Japan, and the other Axis powers are compelled to face history, and engage in rigorous self-reflection. And in the years following the war, Germany has done just that—continuously promoting self-reflection, the rectification of mistakes, and seeking to overcome historical wounds. It has taken concrete actions to reflect on its war crimes, acknowledge errors, offer sincere apologies, and pay compensation. It has mounted educational programs and enacted legislation. And these measures have become part of Germany’s long-standing policy. That attitude of self-reflection has won Germany international recognition.

After the West German government was established in 1949, the various German states actively pursued a program of de-nazification beginning in 1950. Together, they worked to write school curriculum to educate children and young people in the fifth grade and above. They also arranged to have students visit the sites of former Nazi concentration camps, and invited victims and their family members to come to schools and give speeches recounting what happened.

In 1952 Germany established an agency, renamed in 1963 as the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale fur politische Bildung/bpb), which supplies curriculum materials to educate the public about democracy. Those educational efforts are designed to prevent a reversion to extremism, while strengthening education in civil government.  

In August of 1945 the Allied Powers—Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France—signed the Agreement for the Prosecution and Punishment of the Major War Criminals of the European Axis, better known as the London Agreement. In the aftermath of the war, Germany also embraced the spirit of that agreement. Between 1950 and 1960, after the German judiciary became independent, the German government continued to file law suits against those who participated in the Holocaust, ensuring that they would take responsibility for the crimes committed by Nazi Germany.

In addition, Germany set up the world’s most comprehensive mechanism to defend democracy (wehrhafte Demokratie / streitbare Demokratie). Under that mechanism, the German government, the Federal Parliament (the Bundestag), and the Federal Council (the Bundesrat) could disband any political party whose party constitution or actions violated the German’s Federal Constitution. As a result of decisions handed down by the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, that mechanism was invoked twice in the 1950s, disbanding one far-right political party and one far-left political party, and preserving the stable development of German democracy.

There’s a very long word in German—Vergangenheitsbewältigung—that means coping with, accounting for, and coming to terms with the past. It’s a word that fully reflects Germany’s attitude, and their ability to calmly face the crimes of Nazi oppression, reflect deeply about themselves, and strive to become reconciled with neighboring countries.

That attitude has allowed them to emerge from the shadow of history and into the light of a brighter future.

That attitude was best exemplified by the sincerity shown by former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, who inspired the world to believe in Germany’s acts of self-reflection. On December 7, 1970, in front of the commemorative wreath of the Monument of Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw, Willy Brandt spontaneously fell to his knees, observing a moment of silent tribute to the victims who died at the hands of Nazi Germany. That was a landmark moment in improving Germany’s relations with the countries of Eastern Europe after World War II. The former Chancellor also visited the German’s former concentration camps, as well as Israel, to apologize to the people there. He also offered flowers at the monuments, appeasing the feelings of the countries Germany had invaded, and opening up the possibility of rapprochement.

In the international community, Germany’s attitude and actions since the end of World War II have become the epitome of conscience, worthy of affirmation and emulation by all the countries in the world.

III. Conclusion

To address the wounds of history and the lessons to be learned, on September 2 last year, at a commemoration ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the Republic of China's (ROC) victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan and 2015 Armed Forces Day, I emphasized that “while expansionist aggression is a mistake that may be forgiven, the truths of history cannot be forgotten.” When we commemorate victory in war, we do so “not to incite hatred, but to condemn aggression; not to flaunt the fact that we won the war, but to pursue peace.” These ideas apply not only to commemorating victory in the ROC’s War of Resistance Against Japan, but also to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day today, a commemoration that should inspire deep reflection for all of humanity.

Ladies and gentlemen, let today be a reminder that facing history squarely requires the right attitude, followed by concrete action.

Based on the universal value of protecting human rights, the Republic of China will continue to act as a provider of international humanitarian aid and a peacemaker. We will also continue to work hand-in-hand with the international community, devoting our efforts to safeguarding human rights and world peace.

In closing, let me wish each and every one of you the best of health, and every success in the future.

While honoring Ambassador Ho Feng-Shan in December for saving thousands of Jews in Europe, I also want to remind you that there was a German businessman, John Rabe, who saved 200,000 Chinese civilians in Nanjing during the holocaust in that Chinese city.
 
I fully support the commemorance of the International Holocaust Day, and I hope this will be done regularly on January 27 in the following years.
 
Thank you very much!

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