Maroc - TAIWANTODAY.TW - Top News - 01/Apr 00:00

President Lai reaffirms commitment to transitional justice

President Lai Ching-te said April 5 that the government will continue to seek transitional justice and preserve Taiwan’s history and collective memory to safeguard democracy as the country fights cognitive warfare.   The president made the remarks at a ceremony to designate Gikong Presbyterian Church in Taipei City as a site significant to transitional justice. Before it was a church, it was the residence of Lin Yi-hsiung, a renowned political figure whose family members were murdered at home Feb. 28, 1980.   Lai described the case as a dark and grievously painful chapter in Taiwan’s history, adding that based on reports by the Control Yuan, the massacre was an attempt by the authoritarian government of the time to suppress opposition movements and cement control over society. He said that ongoing investigations show government intervention and cover up.   The president said the designation, the first initiated by the private sector, is not only an effort to preserve a historical site, but also reflects the government’s determination to face the truth of the actions of its predecessors and reaffirm its commitment to democracy. He added that he demanded fast-tracked release of political documents in the pursuit of truth for all since taking office in May 2025, and said that more than 140,000 such files have been declassified by the National Security Bureau and released by the National Archives Administration as of February this year.   Lai thanked Gikong Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, and Lin and his surviving family members for their unwavering efforts to turn a place of tragedy into a beacon of democracy by working toward the designation. He also called on all members of society to pursue human rights protection and justice to defend their treasured freedom and democracy. (SFC-E)   Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw