On 'White Terror Memorial Day,' Tu Ming-che Brings His Father's Name Back to Alishan

CNA, Taipei, May 19 (Reporter Chao Ching-yu) – The National Human Rights Museum held a ceremony for the '519 White Terror Memorial Day' today. Tu Ming-che, a family member of a political victim, stated that after decades of effort, his father, tribal doctor Tu Hsiao-sheng, was finally exonerated by the Transitional Justice Commission in 2020, allowing his name to 'return to Alishan.' When Tu Ming-che took the stage to speak, he first sang a traditional Tsou prayer song. He then reflected on his own life experience, recalling the heavy burdens the Tsou people have carried through different historical stages, from the myth of Wu Feng and the 'Tang Shou-jen Rebellion Case' to the 'Tang Ying-shen Incident' in 1986. 'For the past 70 years, I have felt like a wanderer in a foreign land,' he said. 'The fact that I speak Taiwanese so fluently now is a result of that wandering.' Tu Ming-che's father, Tu Hsiao-sheng, was a doctor from the Tsou tribe in Alishan. In 1952, in the case involving Tang Shou-jen and others, he was sentenced on charges of corruption for 'joint continuous embezzlement of public property.' This led to his exclusion from the compensation mechanism for rebellion cases and, due to the stigma of 'corruption,' made it difficult for him to gain the understanding and acceptance of his fellow tribe members for a long time. For decades, Tu Ming-che tirelessly investigated, piecing together the truth with the help of many friends. In 2016, he brought public attention to the case through a 'Mock Constitutional Court.' In 2020, the Transitional Justice Commission determined it was a case of judicial injustice and overturned the original verdict. With this long-overdue exoneration, Tu Ming-che finally brought his father Tu Hsiao-sheng's name back into the public eye, 'letting his name return to Alishan.' Tu Ming-che said that now when he goes back to Alishan, he feels like a tourist. 'How to ensure that the descendants of Tu Hsiao-sheng can still have their own souls after leaving Alishan is the most important thing in my life,' he said. 'Even after all that has happened, Taiwan is still a treasure island. Everyone should live well in Taiwan. I remain optimistic and hopeful for the future of this land of Taiwan.' Today's ceremony was attended by about 150 people, including Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin, Director of the Executive Yuan's Department of Human Rights and Transitional Justice Lai Chun-chao, Minister of Culture Li Yuan, Deputy Minister of Culture Wang Shih-ssu, Director of the National Human Rights Museum Hung Shih-fang, and political victims, their families, and supporters who advocated for the '519 White Terror Memorial Day.' In his speech, Li Yuan stated that in the past, transitional justice was often considered from legal and political perspectives, but a cultural angle can better facilitate social dialogue. He affirmed that the Ministry of Culture will continue to promote transitional justice. Lin Ming-hsin noted that 40 years ago today, the Green Action movement initiated at Longshan Temple protested the martial law system, ultimately leading the authoritarian regime to lift martial law. The price paid by countless predecessors to fight for democracy and freedom, the nation