wfn.org | Churches across Taiwan mark 228 Peace Memorial Day

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3027 Edition

>March 1~7, 2010

Churches across Taiwan mark 228 Peace Memorial Day

>Reported by staff reporters

>Written by Lydia Ma

“We can forgive, but we cannot forget” was the theme of  a remembrance walk 
held in

Kaohsiung in memory of the victims of the February 28 Massacre.  The walk was 
held in the

morning of February 27, 2010, beginning at the old Kaohsiung  Municipal Hall 
before moving

along the Love River where countless bodies were laid during the  massacre. 
Participants then

proceeded to Kaohsiung High School where an exhibit and a memorial  service 
were held as

a reminder of what really took place in hopes that it would  inspire this 
generation to love and

>protect Taiwan.

This remembrance walk was organized by PCT Kaohsiung and Shou-Shan  
presbyteries and

the route was 3.5 km long. The three locations happened to be  sites where many 
victims lost

their lives on February 28,1947, and hundreds of Christians  stopped by to pay 
their respects

>to victims.

According to Da-Shun Presbyterian Church pastor Rev. Chen  Sheng-Cheng, many 
Christians

in Kaohsiung lost their lives in the February 28 Massacre,  including city 
councilor and Hsin-

Hsing Presbyterian Church member Hsu Chiou-Jung. He highlighted  that local PCT 
churches

sprung to action during the massacre too. One example was  Chien-Chin 
Presbyterian Church,

whose pastor Rev. Li Pang-chu organized a relief team to  distribute rice balls 
to Kaohsiung

High School students. Others helped free victims who would’ve  otherwise been 
executed.

In Taipei, various organizations, including PCT, Taiwan  Association of 
University Professors,

and Taiwan Nation Alliance held a remembrance walk starting from  Di-Hua 
Street. The route

stopped by no.187 Nanjing East Road, the site where Lin Chiang-mai  was 
brutally beaten to

death with a pistol by an inspection officer in the late afternoon  of February 
27, 1947. It then

led participants to Chongqing South Road, where Taiwan Monopoly  Bureau used to 
stand (the

building is now occupied by Changhua Bank), before stopping by the  Executive 
Yuan office.

The final destination of the walk was 228 Memorial Park.

Notable participants on that day’s walk included former  Examination Yuan 
President Yao

Chia-wen, DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, PCT General Secretary Rev.  Andrew 
Chang, etc.

As Rev. Chang led everyone in prayer, he prayed for God to  remember the 
sacrifices of

victims who perished in the 228 Massacre and said Taiwanese people  would 
continue to

strive toward making Taiwan a new and independent country and  advocate peace 
and

righteousness. He also prayed for justice and truth so that the  process of 
forgiveness could

begin, because lasting peace and justice are not possible without  truth. Rev. 
Chang also

prayed for KMT to repent so that the families of victims can find  closure and 
be blessed.

Taichung Presbytery decided to mark February 28th a little  differently this 
year as the day

coincided with Lantern Festival. Besides holding a prayer walk,  the presbytery 
also had a

candlelight memorial service. This candlelight service was  especially 
memorable because

Christians held lanterns as they prayed and walked. It also  provided an 
opportunity to mingle

with non-Christians who were out celebrating Lantern Festival.

Churches in Taitung area held a joint prayer service for Taiwan on  February 
28th at 4:00 p.m.

Churches in Hsinchu area held a music concert in the evening at  Taoyuan 
Presbyterian

Church. The concert featured Siloam Blind People Choir.

In the city of Tainan, Tainan Presbytery held “Lift up your  eyes to the 
mountain peace & justice

prayer meeting” in the afternoon of February 28 in the  track-and-field arena 
of Kou-Pei

Elementary School. It was a sunny day and more than 600 people  from PCT 
churches across

Tainan city and Tainan county attended this event. They sang hymns  and then 
prayed for the

earth’s environment, Taiwan’s autonomy, and justice and  peace.

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