Taiwan scholars mark 80th anniversary of victory in war against Japanese aggression

TAIPEI -- A symposium commemorating the 80th anniversary of both victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Taiwan's recovery was held in Taipei on Saturday, calling for historical truth to be restored as the narrative of "Taiwan independence" is being pushed by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities.

Chi Chia-lin, president of Homeland Publishing and chief 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 deliberately 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 1895 battle was a six-month resistance struggle that broke out on the island after the Qing government ceded Taiwan to Japan under the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in April 1895, following its defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War.

Chi explained that at that time, locals and soldiers from the Hunan, Anhui and Guangdong provinces who remained in Taiwan fought side by side to resist the Japanese. Due to overwhelming disparities in weaponry and equipment, more than 14,000 people were killed over the course of four-and-a-half months.

Pien Feng-kwei, a professor with the Taiwan Ocean University, said that during the 50 years of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan, the island's people continued their resistance unbroken and in various forms.

However, he noted, "Taiwan independence" forces have deliberately ignored or even distorted Taiwan's history of anti-Japanese resistance and anti-colonial struggle.

"Remembering history is meant to help us cherish peace. I hope the Taiwan authorities will face history squarely and draw lessons from it," he said.

The strong national consciousness became the foundation of Taiwan's anti-Japanese resistance, and the sacrifices of heroes during the struggle are a lasting testament to the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation, said professor Sun Juo-yi of Taiwan's Chung Hsing University.

Chi also called for the development of an accurate historical narrative of Taiwan to awaken the society's true memory.