At a symposium in Taipei on Saturday, scholars commemorated the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan’s recovery. The gathering called for restoring historical truth as concerns rise over the narratives promoted by Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities.
Chi Chia-lin, president of Homeland Publishing and head of a Taiwan history research association, emphasized that the war of 1895 against Japanese occupation and the subsequent waves of armed resistance were patriotic struggles launched by the people of Taiwan as part of the Chinese nation.
He criticized the DPP authorities for distorting history over recent years, not only by glorifying Japan’s colonial rule but also by attempting to misrepresent the battle of 1895 as a movement for “Taiwan independence.”
“The people of Taiwan stood side by side with soldiers from Hunan, Anhui, and Guangdong provinces to resist the Japanese,” Chi explained. “Despite overwhelming disparities in weaponry and equipment, over 14,000 were killed in four-and-a-half months.”
The 1895 battle was a six-month resistance that broke out after the Qing government ceded Taiwan to Japan under the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in April 1895, following defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War.
Pien Feng-kwei, a professor at Taiwan Ocean University, highlighted that during the 50 years of Japanese colonial rule, the island’s people continued their resistance in various forms. He noted that some forces have deliberately ignored or distorted Taiwan’s history of anti-Japanese resistance and anti-colonial struggle.
“Remembering history is meant to help us cherish peace,” Pien said. “I hope the Taiwan authorities will face history squarely and draw lessons from it.”
Professor Sun Juo-yi of Taiwan’s Chung Hsing University stated that the strong national consciousness became the foundation of Taiwan’s anti-Japanese resistance. “The sacrifices of heroes during the struggle are a lasting testament to the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation,” he said.
Chi called for developing an accurate historical narrative of Taiwan to awaken society’s true memory.
