Remember 2-28

"Kill them all, keep it secret." --Chiang Kai-shek, in response to   Taiwanese protesters

This past week, Harvard joined more than 100 other colleges in holding an event that this campus has needed for quite some time: the Democracy Teach-Ins. This out-standing series of lectures, discussions, and debates has shed light on many of the crucial issues facing democracy today, and we applaud the efforts of all those involved in its planning and vision. The Taiwanese Cultural Society, while not formally involved with the Teach-Ins, would like to add an extra dimension: to remember the struggles that bring democracy and the plight of those who have suffered under totalitarian regimes.

Last Saturday, Feb. 28, was the 51st anniversary of what is known as the 2-28 incident. This date is etched in the souls of the Taiwanese people like the word "Holocaust" is in the history of the Jewish people. On that day, a woman in Taipei, Taiwan, was arrested and beaten to death for selling cigarettes without a license. This sparked island-wide protests that soon resulted in the brutal massacre of more than 20,000 Taiwanese at the hands of the Chinese Nationalist troops. These innocent people were murdered solely because they peacefully protested against the repressive and corrupt rule of the Chinese Nationalist government, which had taken control of Taiwan two years earlier (after World War II). In addition, the government targeted many scholars, students, lawyers, doctors and local leaders in an effort to purge Taiwan of all intellectuals who even hinted at opposing the Nationalists. A watershed event in both Taiwanese and world history, 2-28 was thoroughly covered-up by Chiang's government, and it is almost never mentioned in history textbooks.

Why does it matter to us, in 1998, so far removed from this massacre in both time and space? First, understanding the massacre and the tensions that sparked the protests helps us to comprehend the complexities of current Taiwan-China relations. The Taiwanese people emigrated to Taiwan from southern China about 400 years ago, but the island they settled was only claimed by the Chinese empire for eight of those years. In the past half millenium, Taiwan has been periodically governed by several European powers and eventually by the Japanese in the 50 years prior to World War II. During these 400 years, the immigrants mixed with the indigenous peoples, essentially cut off from the mainland, and their ideas and culture diverged from those of imperial China.

Despite this historic isolation from China, when Chiang Kai-shek first sent troops to Taiwan after World War II, the Taiwanese initially welcomed them, thinking that the Chinese would rule more fairly than the Japanese. 2-28 shattered these hopes. Soon after the massacre, martial law and an extensive secret police were instated for the next 40 years. Ironically, 2-28 had the important effect of cementing the Taiwanese identity--the people of Taiwan wanted little to do with their Chinese oppressors, and, for the first time, the Taiwanese strongly felt that they were indeed a distinct society and culture. Nearly half a century passed before the government admitted its wrong and Taiwanese society began to come to terms with the full tragedy of 2-28. Today, the shroud of silence and fear has finally been lifted.

The 2-28 incident also planted the seed that grew into the flowering democracy of Taiwan today. Only 15 years ago, Taiwan's human rights record was just as onerous as, if not worse than China's. Martial law ended in 1987 only under the intense pressure of a growing opposition movement. For the first forty years, the opposition had to stay underground because of the secret police's extreme vigilance. Thousands of dissidents were imprisoned or executed for voicing their belief in liberty and democracy, and for their criticism of the Nationalist government. Yet, in the ten years since the repeal of martial law, Taiwan has become a full-fledged democracy, with its first legislative elections in 1992 and its first presidential elections in 1996. The vigorous democracy seen in Taiwan today was built on the lives and dreams of Taiwanese everywhere.

Most importantly, the 2-28 incident reminds us of humanity's capacity for cold-blooded atrocities. 2-28 must be remembered so that history does not repeat itself. Even now, a disturbing number of people have begun to claim that the Holocaust never really happened. The importance of remembering humanity at its worst cannot be stressed enough. But 2-28 is also a symbol for humanity's ability to persevere. In the inspiring courage of many Taiwanese men and women who struggled for freedom and democracy, we may be reminded of the origins of our own democracy here in America and why we must fight to keep it a thriving institution.

We can learn much from the example of Taiwan--a nation that has transformed a repressive dictatorship into a vibrant democracy through the will and determination of its people.

George S. Han '00 is Education/Cultural Chair of the Taiwanese Cultural Society. He lives in Mather House. The Taiwanese Cultural Society will hold a commemoration of the 2-28 incident tomorrow from 2 to 3 p.m. in Sever Hall Room 213.