President Ma Ying-jeou is calling on China to honestly face up to the Tiananmen Square Massacre that took place on June 4, 1989.
Thursday marks the 26th anniversary of the democracy movement in which a large but unconfirmed number of student protesters and activists were killed in a bloody military crackdown.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ma called on China to seriously reexamine the sad chapter in history so that similar tragedies will not happen again. Ma also urged China to take action to rehabilitate the victims and their family members.
Presidential Office Spokesman Charles Chen on Thursday relayed the president’s remarks.
“[Facing up to history] would strike a positive note in Taiwan," said Ma.
"[That’s because] it would shorten the psychological gap between the two sides, lay a more stable and stronger foundation for cross-strait exchanges, and create a better future for the younger generation.”
In his statement, President Ma called on China to take heed of his remarks, since it will be the last time he speaks about the tragedy in his capacity as president. Ma will step down next May.