On the afternoon of February 25, just days before the 64th anniversary of the 228 Incident, President Ma Ying-jeou presided over a ceremony at the Presidential Office to issue certificates formally restoring the good names of victims of the 228 Incident. The president reiterated the government's continued concern for the victims of the 228 Incident and their families, and stressed that the government will remember the lessons of history. Making sure it does not forget the events of history will help to prevent a similar incident from recurring, he said.
President Ma, along with the families of the victims, first paid tribute to the souls of the victims. He commented that he has been involved in work related to handling the 228 Incident for more than two decades. When he served as minister of the Executive Yuan's Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission, for instance, he was a member of the group responsible for handling the 228 Incident, and this work marked the beginning of a series of efforts to recognize the government's wrongs, apologize, establish memorials, formulate legislation, create museums, and restore the good names of wronged individuals. He added that shortly after assuming the position of justice minister he was responsible for the important work of amending the February 28 Incident Disposition and Compensation Act. It was because of this that he had the opportunity to understand how Germany used administrative and legislative means to redress events surrounding the holocaust.
President Ma furthermore said that after the February 28 Incident Disposition and Compensation Act was passed, the 228 Memorial Foundation was established, and this body began examining related compensation measures. He pointed out that as justice minister he served as a member of the foundation’s board. Later on when he served as Taipei City mayor, he worked for establishment of the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum to unearth details of the incident, as well as to act as an important spiritual outlet for the families of the victims and a place where experiences could be exchanged. The president stated that this enabled him to have even more opportunities to come in contact with these kindhearted and diligent families, which further cemented his belief that the government must express concern and care for the families of the victims.
The president noted that sincerity is key if victims and their families are to feel that the government and society are serious in their concern for them, and he expressed the hope that this can in some small measure assuage the pain of losing a loved one. The government still has much work to do, including uncovering the truth, restoring the good names of victims, and deleting inappropriate notations in the victim’s household records. When he served as Taipei City mayor he met with families during various exhibitions associated with the 228 Incident and came to have a better understanding of their needs.
President Ma remarked that after becoming president he further promoted the establishment of the National 228 Memorial Museum, which will soon open. He explained that in the future, this museum and its Taipei counterpart will cooperate and divide responsibilities among themselves in order to prevent operations from overlapping. He commented that the establishment of a national museum carries important meaning, as it proclaims to the public, our children, and our grandchildren that we have a society and government that are able and willing to reflect upon the past, and that can admit mistakes, apologize, and redress wrongdoings.
The president stressed that the government's concern in this regard will not change, and that the government will continue to promote this work. He also expressed his hopes that the families of the victims will sense the government's sincerity and that they will assist the government in related work.
Upon completing his remarks, the president then issued to the families of the victims of the 228 Incident the certificates that restored their good names. Chairman Chan Chi-shean of the 228 Memorial Foundation and Presidential Secretary-General Wu Jin-lin accompanied President Ma at the event.