President Ma Ying-jeou is heckled by '228 Massacre' protesters in Taiwan ceremonies

March 1, 4:32 PMBoston Progressive ExaminerMichael Richardson

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228 Massacre protest interrupts Ma Ying-jeou   Associated Press photo

Republic of China in-exile President Ma Ying-jeou was met by hecklers at two '228 Massacre' ceremonies in Taipei and Kaohsiung on Saturday. The Kaohsiung ceremony was held at the city Museum of History where Ma faced his party's past.

"No apologies or compensation can bring back the lives of the victims," Ma told the crowd. However, some in Taiwan feel that Ma's attempts to rehabilitate Chiang Kia-shek as a national figure brings dishonor to victims of the 228 Massacre and the following 'White Terror' campaign by Kuomintang troops.

Ma pledged to support a 228 Memorial Museum despite opposition in his party to expenditure of funds for a memorial. Last week one legislator even proposed cancelling the national holiday commemorating the slaughter that began on February 28, 1947 and then was covered up under four decades of martial law.

One of Ma's chief critics is Lin I-hsuing, former head of the Democratic Progressive Party, who says Ma's efforts to restore Chiang's reputation is an 'insult' to massacre victims. Lin was imprisoned in 1979 for participating in a human rights demonstration in Kaohsiung. While in jail Lin's mother and twin seven year-old girls were stabbed to death in an unsolved crime many feel was done to send a message to critics of the KMT regime.

Lin told the Taipei Times, "It is a great insult to the Taiwanese people when the government employs abundant resources to commemorate a man who is perceived by most historians in other countries as a dictator."

Lo Chih-cheng of the Taiwan Society told reporters that "Ma still worships Chiang Kia-shek."

Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the DPP opposition party, was blunt with her criticism. "We can forgive historical mistakes but history cannot be forgotten." Tsai said, "Our generation of Taiwanese cannot forget and must tell the next generation that Taiwan history experienced such a tragedy, which destroyed so many families."

Ma again ran into protesters at the Taipei 228 Memorial Park where he promised, "I will focus all my efforts to look into the truth and give the justice that the families deserve."  One thousand protesters dominated Liberty Plaza in Taiepi where they formed the words "Don't forget 2-2-8".

The close of the Taipei ceremonies was filled with irony where Ma and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin joined with massacre victims' family members to untie a large white knot above the stage. The knot ceremony was to symbolize reconciliation but the guests were unable to untie the knot creating an awkward moment over the divisions that remain in Taiwanese society about the massacre and the role of Ma's ruling party in the tragedy.