Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian on Saturday called for "love, forgiveness and reflection" while speaking at a ceremony marking the nation's 2-28 Peace Memorial Day.
The ceremony, commemorating the 57th anniversary of the tragic 2-28 Incident, was held at a wharf in Keelung where troops sent by the Nationalist government from mainland China landed in 1947 and began a bloody suppression of "riotous" locals.
Music played by trumpet and a string quartet began the solemn ceremony. President Chen as well as the family members of some of the victims of the bloody suppression observed a moment of silence for those who suffered in the 2-28 incident.
The family members watched with tears as a group of performers reenacted the tragic event which was triggered by a clash between an old woman selling contraband cigarettes and an armed agent of the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau on Feb. 27, 1947. Tens of thousands of people were reportedly killed or imprisoned during the protest and riots the following day and the subsequent "white terror" period.
After the moment of silence, President Chen led the family members in laying bouquets of flowers on a mock monument on the stage in honor of the victims, symbolizing that they will face the historic wound with love and reflection.
The president then presented to the family members certificates restoring the reputations of the fallen victims.
Noting that "some have said that reopening the historial wound of the 2-28 Incident will divide Taiwan's ethnic groups and destabilize society, " Chen said he disagreed with this view. "The victims included Hoklo (Taiwanese), Hakka, aboriginal people and mainlanders. They were all victims of Taiwan history."
The president said that he was deeply "moved" when he presented the rehabilitation certificates to the victims and their families. He expressed the hope that the Taiwan people will use their "forbearance and reflection" through the reexamination of the historial wound and the establishment of a memorial monument.
Chen also stressed that pluralism is a major asset of Taiwan, adding that "we should face the truth, families of the victims, and mistakes with forgiveness, compassion and firmness."
He urged everybody to take part in the islandwide "hand-in-hand" rally in the afternoon to show their determination to ensure the nation's security, saying this would be "the best way to commemorate the 2-28 incident."