Fake Peace Memorial Day: Questioning the 228 Incident and the Peace Memorial Monument
In another month, it will be the real February 28 Incident in Taiwan’s history but a fake Peace Memorial Day. It’s not just a person that can be deified; an event can be, too.
I won’t say much about the history of 228; the numerous versions available in the market show how many lies there are. First, let’s look at the definition of peace: “Peace usually refers to a state without war or other hostile acts towards others. it’s also used to describe a person who is not agitated or is quiet. Peace is generally interpreted as the absence of hostility and revenge, and a sincere desire to resolve conflicts.”
Looking strictly at the definition, the so-called peace by those who praise the 228 incident is simply a joke.
First, the 228 incident was merely an internal rebellion, and those who initiated the turmoil were even a minority of people. If we follow this standard, a peace memorial monument should also be erected for the Sunflower movement’s occupation of the Executive Yuan…
During the 228 period, if CCP spies and Japanese Kōmin (imperial subjects) hadn’t been constantly causing trouble behind the scenes, deliberately avoiding discussions on the issue of investigation into smuggled cigarettes which triggered gangster dissatisfaction and the beating of investigators, why would the turmoil have escalated?? In an era when communication channels were underdeveloped, the entire island of Taiwan could actually respond and mobilize so quickly—even faster than today’s highly informed Taiwan. Do you believe there was no organized operation behind it??
During the 228 incident, if the military and police hadn’t forcefully and quickly suppressed the people who were armed and snatching guns to make trouble, or had even left the military positions to be occupied and weapons and ammunition to be snatched—if the National Revolutionary Army still couldn’t fight back, do you think our current national title would be the People’s Republic of China??
Certain Taiwan independence advocates should stop being ungrateful while playing the victim…
The 228 Peace Memorial Day and 228 Peace Memorial Monument are just jokes. For example, the American Civil War only set up a memorial monument and wouldn’t pretentiously call it “Peace.” The Los Angeles Chinese Massacre of 1871, the largest lynching incident in US history, only established a historical park to introduce the past. However, I have seen such a joke-making thing as the 228 Peace Memorial Monument based on political motives elsewhere—Japan!!
The Japanese launched wars and continuously invaded other countries. Yet now, in many places on Japanese soil that were bombed by the US, a bunch of “Peace” and “Prayer” monuments have been erected. But you won’t see “Reflection Monuments” or “Repentance Monuments,” as those are politically incorrect items there.
Is there a more disgusting joke than a country that launched wars saying it hopes for world peace?? It’s as absurd and ridiculous as Gian (Takeshi) beating up Nobita and then saying he hopes everyone has no conflicts. In this regard, Taiwan independence advocates and some Japanese Kōmin are 87% similar to the Japanese—the one who beats others cries about being beaten, and if they really get beaten, they cry as if they were innocent quails… Extremely disgusting.
For instance, we now know that many members of the 27 Brigade, which killed many soldiers during the 228 period, were communists. Some of them even fled back to the Mainland to become officials afterward. Yet now, the Transitional Justice Commission, acting like an “Eastern Depot” (secret police), recently used political power to redeem some of those criminals…
Where exactly is the truth??
Where exactly is justice??
Is so-called “transition” for thoroughly clarifying the truth of the matter, or is it fundamentally just a revenge filled with defeat resentment from the descendants of Japanese Kōmin??
Let’s look at the actual meaning of the setting up of peace monuments in other countries around the world:
- The Japanese Peace Bell at the UN in New York, USA: World peace.
- The Fountain of Time in Chicago, USA: 100 years of peace between the US and the UK.
- International Peace Garden in North Dakota, USA: Peace between the US and Canada, world peace.
- The Peace Arch in British Columbia, Canada: Commemorating 100 years of peace between the UK and the US after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.
- Statue of Europe in Brussels, Europe: Integration for peace in Europe.
- Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park between Alberta, Canada and Montana, USA: World peace.
- The Cenotaph in Hong Kong: Commemorating the victims of the two World Wars.
Every important peace memorial monument in every country exists for the noble ideal of world peace, for settling wars between two nations, or for the victims of world wars.
In contrast, look at the “228 Peace Memorial Monument” set up in “228 Peace Memorial Park” by the “228 Memorial Foundation.” Its purpose is to mourn the victims, heal ethnic pain, and remember historical lessons.
The 228 Memorial Foundation doesn’t mention the origin of the turmoil at all, omits the local thugs who made trouble, and certainly doesn’t mention whether there were CCP spies and Japanese Kōmin. It simply and brutally divides the entire incident into two major camps: perpetrators and victims.
Rather than saying the meaning of setting up a peace memorial monument is for peace, it’s better to say it’s for gaining political interests. With a monument whose starting point is so outrageously wrong, what kind of ghost peace can it possibly create??