President Tsai Ing-wen invited June 4 the people of China to consider Taiwan’s democratic development as they reflect on the brutal suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square ordered by the authorities in Beijing 29 years ago.
 
Taiwan does not have censorship nor a Great Firewall, and its people enjoy the fundamental right to free speech, Tsai said via a post published on her official Facebook page. This is the way of life in Taiwan made possible through the establishment of a democratic environment conducive to such freedom, she added.
 
According to Tsai, Tiananmen is a historic tragedy China refused to face for decades and still categorizes as a necessary law and order action. Taiwan experienced something similar in the February 28 Incident of 1947 and the Kaohsiung Incident of 1979, she said, adding that the social momentum following these events spurred political reform and democratization, she said.
 
Since the lifting of 38 years of martial law in 1987, successive governments have shouldered the responsibility for restoring historical truths, addressing past injustices and fostering reconciliation, Tsai said. The pace of this process is hastened today as illustrated by the recently launched Transitional Justice Commission, she added.
 
Established under the transitional justice law, the commission is tasked with recovering and declassifying political archives relating to the February 28 Incident of 1947, as well as promoting reconciliation and redressing judicial wrongs.
 
The February 28 Incident of 1947 Incident occurred when protesters demanded Gov. Chen Yi enact reforms. When these went unmet, people around Taiwan demonstrated, prompting Chen to call for military reinforcements from China who killed many during the crackdown.
 
If the authorities in Beijing can squarely face the violence of Tiananmen and admit wrongdoing, the tragedy can become a cornerstone of China’s democratic development, Tsai said. It is hoped that one day, the example of Taiwan will lead to the establishment of democracy and freedom on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, she added.
 
This is a goal the governments of Taiwan and China can work together to achieve, Tsai said, adding that this would create room for the people of both sides to foster mutual understanding and closer collaboration. (CPY-E)