TAIPEI: Taiwan's outgoing President Chen Shui-bian inaugurated a monument on Thursday in memory of thousands of people killed or persecuted under the former Kuomintang government's martial law.

The monument "is not only aimed at commemorating those youths (activists) who were jailed or killed, as well as their mothers and wives who could only weep at night", Chen said in a ceremony.

It also reminded people of "the dozens of years during which people were gagged and tolerated widespread injustice because they feared for their own safety" when the country was ruled under martial law, he said.

Chen, from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), ended the KMT's 51-year grip on power when he won the presidential election in 2000, and was re-elected to a second four-year term in 2004.

He formally leaves office in May after the DPP's candidate was trounced by the Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou in the weekend election.

The KMT fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war on the mainland to Mao Zedong's communist, and the island – which is still claimed by Beijing as part of Chinese territory – has governed itself ever since.

Martial law was imposed in 1949 and lifted in 1987, by which time thousands of people had been executed or jailed without trial in what was termed "white terror" rule.

"People were afraid to publicly discuss that part of history until martial law was lifted in 1987," Chen said.

"During the past 20 years, Taiwan has become a genuinely free and democratic country, with people enjoying the full protection of the law."

According to official tallies, the government has paid 18.75 billion Taiwan dollars (625.17 million US) in compensation to 6,808 victims and relatives.

Compensation, ceremonies of remembrance and monuments "are the process of cleansing their traumatised spirits", Chen said.

The outgoing president also urged "further pursuit of truth... to avoid the recurrence of such tragedies".


- AFP/so