[3391]PCT Urges Taiwan Government To Speed Up Transitional Justice And Cast A New Constitution

Taiwan Church News

3391 Edition

February 20 – 26, 2017

Headline News

 

PCT Urges Taiwan Government To Speed Up Transitional Justice And Cast A New Constitution

 

Reported by Lin Yi-yin

 

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the 228 massacre event, an official PCT pastoral letter, urging Taiwan’s new government to carry on investigating the truth of 228 massacre, speeding up transitional justice, and casting a new constitution, was delivered in a press conference at the Legislative Yuan on February 21.

Resolved by the Central Committee of the 61st Round of PCT General Assembly, this PCT pastoral letter is deliberately drafted by a special working group, including Rev Sudu Tada(Moderator of PCT General Assembly), Rev Lyim Hong-tiong(PCT General Secretary), Rev Chen Ming-chih(Vice Moderator), Rev Hsuei Bor-zang(Secretary of General Assembly), Rev Chang Sien-jueh(Deputy Secretary of General Assembly), Elder Hwang Bor-tong(Accountant of General Assembly), and Rev Zeng Kuo-chong(Director of PCT Church and Society Committee).

Following PCT’s prophetic participation in Taiwan’s democratic reformation since 1970s, two 228 massacre pastoral letters released in 1989 and 1990 respectively, and annual commemorative service since then, this PCT pastoral letter marking the 70th anniversary of 228 event is expected to prompt Tsai Ing-wen administration to listen to the true voices of the Taiwanese people and speed up the transitional justice via demonstrating the government’s determination in policies and the related proceedings, Rev Sudu Tada sincerely hopes.

In the press conference, Rev Lyim Hong-tiong represents PCT to read the pastoral letter. He says, based on PCT’s confession of faith as “[The church] is both universal and rooted in this land, identifying with all its inhabitants, and through love and suffering becoming the sign of hope”, PCT urges Taiwan government to comply with three requests from Taiwan society: no more set up statue or stone of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo for Taiwanese people to worship or eulogize; a truth and reconciliation commission for 228 massacre should be established to pursue after those responsible executioners and comfort the victims and their suffered families; Taiwan government should draw up a new constitution as soon as possible to make Taiwan become a new and independent country!

Rev Zeng Kuo-chong predicts in a straight talk that Taiwan cannot be a just and peaceful country if the engineering of transitional justice could not kick off to reach its ultimate goal. Regarding the 228 massacre, Rev Zeng encourages President Tsai Ing-wen be strong and very courageous enough to find out the truth and keep pursuing after those who were responsible.

Because these executioners, especially the master-mind dictators of Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, are still eulogized and showcased at Taiwan’s public space, Rev Zeng laments, adding that “they are the true evil spirits haunting in Taiwan society and obstructing Taiwan from marching forward to a just and peaceful country.”

These authoritarian totems are the bleeding wounds in the heart of the Taiwanese, Rev Zeng remarks, they have to be get rid of as soon as possible to heal the soul of Taiwan. PCT pledges to act her role of reconciliation reminding Tsai Ing-wen administration to fulfill her campaign promise on transitional justice and monitoring if her Taiwan policy is based on a self-awareness as an independent country, Rev Zeng concludes.

Translated by Peter Wolfe

 

PCT urges Taiwan government to speed up transitional justice and cast a new Taiwan constitution in a press conference held in Taiwan Congress on 21 February 2017.

Photo by Lin Yi-yin

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