Today is 228, the anniversary of the 1947 massacre which began the “White Terror” period in Taiwan and martial law. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 30,000 people lost their lives, and thousands more were disappeared or imprisoned.

In 1995, the events of 1947 were finally acknowledged by the heads of state, and February 28 was declared a national holiday to commemorate the victims of the 228 massacre. 

Every Peace Memorial Day, the Taiwanese president rings a commemorative bell and bows to family members of the victims, who each receive certificates of exoneration for their loved one.

For more information on 228, we encourage you to watch the following videos from TaiwanPlus:

• What is 228? The Precursor to Taiwan’s White Terror Era When people think of 228, they think of cigarettes and the events of Feb 27 and 28. This video goes more in depth to talk about what the underlying reason was for the conflict between the Taiwanese citizens and the government.
• Why 228 Matters to Americans In this video, Eric Tsai speaks with Shawna Yang Ryan (author of Green Island), a history teacher in Taiwan, and Dr. Chanda Precod-Weinstein (author of an article comparing BLM and 228).
• Factor in the Number: 228 Incident Don’t have time for narration and a story? Just want the numbers? Here it is.
• Lasting Impact of 228: Pan Mu-chih TaiwanPlus’ news team talks with the son of a doctor who was executed during 228. He talks about the impact that his father’s death has on the family.
• Taiwan Youth Confront Dark Past Sorry Youth, a band of young Taiwanese use song to explore Taiwan’s past. There is also an annual concert on Feb 28 to talk about not just 228 but also other social issues within Taiwan.
• Taipei, but this was all over Taiwan. In Taichung, a group of students formed the 2-7 militia to fight back against the government. Full documentary here: https://tw.plus/euil7