Taiwan is making progress in a plan to reform the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. That’s the word from Culture Minister Shih Che (史哲) on Thursday while answering questions from lawmakers.
Last year Taiwan’s now-defunct Transitional Justice Commission released a plan to remove symbolism of authoritarianism from the hall. That includes taking out the six-meters-tall statue of Chiang Kai-shek, a former dictator. But the plan remains controversial because Chiang is a key figure in the country’s history.
Minister Shih says that while the Culture Ministry has made little physical progress in the renovation plan, it has moved forward in the planning process. He says the widespread discussion in society, planning over the exhibition’s content, and bipartisan debate demonstrate considerable progress in preparations.
Meanwhile, a KMT Taipei city councilor recently proposed stopping official 228 memorial events after Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s speech was interrupted this week. Shih says though Taiwan is a country with freedom of speech, transitional justice has already become state policy.