People in Taiwan commemorate victims of White Terror period

Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun of Kuomintang, Taiwan's opposition party, attends the annual remembrance ceremony for victims of Taiwan's White Terror. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

People in Taiwan gathered at the Taipei Machangding Memorial Park on Saturday to commemorate the annual remembrance ceremony for victims of Taiwan's White Terror, a period of political repression that dominated the island during the 1950s, calling for cross-Strait peace and unity.

During the White Terror period, numerous individuals who harbored pro-reunification sentiments or were seen as threats to the ruling regime of the Chinese Kuomintang were arrested and executed in Taiwan. Many of these victims were buried in unmarked graves, and it wasn't until 1993 that four such burial sites were discovered in Taipei. Since then, annual autumn ceremonies have been held at the park to honor their memory.

This year's ceremony saw the participation of White Terror survivors, family members of the victims, and various representatives from Taiwan society. Taiwan youth representative Chen Chu-yin delivered an eulogy, hoping the spirits of the martyrs to rest in peace and that their ideals of national reunification would be realized through the efforts of the younger generation.