Portal:Disasters/Selected anniversary/February 2007
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The 228 Incident or 228 Massacre was an uprising in the Republic of China (Taiwan) that began on February 28, 1947 and was suppressed by the Kuomintang government, resulting in thirty thousand to sixty thousand civilians killed. The number "228" refers to the day of the incident, February 28 (28th day of the 2nd month, 2/28).
This event is now commemorated in Taiwan as Peace Memorial Day. Official government policy had repressed the education of the events until recently, for various reasons. Many of the details of the incident are still highly controversial and hotly debated in Taiwan today, as the largely conservative-controlled government often tries to stifle discussion on the topic. Some people point to Communist involvement as a "justification" for the KMT's action.
After 50 years of colonial rule by Japan, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China in 1945 by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). After two years of administration by the Republic of China, nepotism, accusations of corruption and a failed economy increased tensions between the local Taiwanese and ROC administration. The flashpoint came on February 27, 1947 in Taipei when a dispute between a female cigarette vendor and an anti-smuggling officer triggered civil disorder and open rebellion that would last for days. The uprising was shortly put down by the military of the Republic of China.
