Taiwan President Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文) last week brought an old campaign promise to the table: The Act on Promoting Transitional Justice.
Its passage means that many of the wrongs of the martial law period will be brought to light, streets and schools will get renamed, and many criminal convictions made in military courts will be overturned.
But not everybody is happy with what's on the menu. Indigenous groups have come out strongly against the law, as no efforts were made in this legislation to return land seized from them during the Japanese colonial period that (1895-1945). Tsai and the Democratic Progressive Party have reaffirmed their commitment to address the indigenous land issue in a separate process, but for now that particular chunk of justice remains on ice.
A full analysis of the Act can be found here.
TNL Editor: Morley J Weston
