TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Executive Yuan (行政院) passed a draft bill to preserve historical sites of injustice on Thursday (July 18). The bill outlines the purpose, review procedures, and diverse preservation methods, including erecting historical markers and digital virtual reconstructions, to honor these significant locations.
Authorities define historical sites of injustice as places where large-scale human rights violations occurred during authoritarian rule from Aug. 15, 1945, to Nov. 6, 1992. The sites must meet three criteria: the timeframe, the authenticity of the human rights violations, and spatial information confirming the location.
The Transitional Justice Commission (促進轉型正義委員會) announced the first batch of 25 historical sites of injustice, including Tianma Tea House (天馬茶房) in Taipei, Hsu Bridge (旭橋) in Hsinchu, and the former Taipei Post Office. These sites are connected to the 228 Incident, a pivotal event in Taiwan's history.
Police violence at Tianma Tea House during a raid on illegal cigarettes caused civilian casualties and sparked the 228 Incident. Although the original building on Nanjing West Road in Taipei has been demolished and rebuilt, it remains a significant historical site.
Taipei Bridge (台北橋), where military attacks on civilians resulted in injuries and deaths, has also been listed as a historical site of injustice. Despite renovations, the bridge's tragic past remains a poignant reminder of the human rights abuses.
The Executive Yuan building, once Taiwan's highest administrative body, saw officials firing on crowds during the 228 Incident, further escalating public discontent. This location is now recognized as a historical site of injustice.
The commission also approved a second batch of 17 White Terror historical sites, including Machangding Execution Ground (馬場町刑場), Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park (景美看守所), and the former Taiwan Military Prison in Sindian (國防部台灣軍人監獄).
The former Taiwan Military Prison, the island's only military prison, held political prisoners like Chen Ying-tai (陳英泰), Lei Chen (雷震), Su Tung-chi (蘇東啟), and Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介). The site now houses the Sindian Drug Abuser Treatment Center (新店戒治所).
