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The Tortuous Path of Transitional Justice in Taiwan��

Prof. Lo Cheng-Chung

National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

feat. Joyce Lin

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A book published by the Taiwanese government in 2024.

"An unexamined past, an unacknowledged past, will haunt us like a ghost. Real reconciliation can be messy, it can be unpleasant, but it is ultimately worth it, because only by facing the truth can we heal the wounds. A false reconciliation can only bring a false healing."

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The Two Generalissimos

Chiang Kai-shek and Francisco Franco

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Chiang Kai-shek seems to be worse

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like father like son,

or like North Korea today

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  • Cover-up and forgetting.
  • To comfort the victims.
  • Try to hold the perpetrator accountable, but too many obstacles.

Taiwan's Transitional Justice in 3 Stages

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The Chiang's giant statue is still enshrined in government offices and maintained with taxpayers' money.

When you come to Taiwan ……

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Chiang's body is preserved in a vacuum coffin instead of being buried. It is kept by the government and maintained with taxpayers' money.

When you come to Taiwan ……

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There are 316 public roads in Taiwan named after Chiang, known as Zhongzheng Road.

When you come to Taiwan ……

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  • Such idol worship of dictator is difficult to understand in democratic countries.
  • BUT In Taiwan, many ordinary people still consider these things to be part of their familiar memories and strongly resist change.

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Most Taiwanese people don't know, or perhaps aren't interested in knowing, that Taiwan's national anthem is actually the Kuomintang (KMT) party anthem.

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  • There can be no reconciliation without the truth.
  • Due to the passage of time, the truth is difficult to find.
  • The general public may not be interested in the truth from decades ago.
  • Reconciliation is a pipe dream for Taiwan.

End