The incident claimed the lives of thousands of civilians on Taiwan as troops under the command of General Chen Yi carried out a months-long shooting of Taiwan natives following a bloody encounter involving policemen and members of the public in northern Taiwan.

Many local elites and intellectuals died or disappeared during the tragedy and their fates have remained unknown over the years.

Although Chen Yi was subsequently court-martialed and executed for other crimes he committed, the tragedy has left the darkest page in Taiwan's history.

During the era of rule by national decree, or martial law, little effort was made on the part of the government to reveal the truth about the events or to compensate dependents and relatives of the innocent victims. The relevant archives were sealed and the tragedy was relegated to the past.

It was only in recent years that the government began to take positive steps to earnestly deal with the lingering issue. Such an effort has not only brought the incident to the forefront of national debate but also helped heal the old wounds and soothe the feelings of victims' family members.

To that effect, an independent team of historians and scholars was assigned to make a thorough and objective investigative analysis of the incident. Their years of study has now been made public, shedding new light on the tragic event.

Additionally, memorial parks and monuments were dedicated at various locations islandwide as a tribute to the innocent victims.

The government has made a public apology to the dependents and relatives and has offered compensation as well.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Justice is examining the appropriate judicial process by which to reverse the verdicts upon those who were wrongly indicted and executed in the wake of the incident.

Needless to say, no amount of compensation or solace can completely erase the injustice and the scars left by the tragic event. But there is no question that the government has done its utmost in responding to the demands of the victims' dependents and relatives as well as in restoring their dignity.

Representing President Lee Teng-hui, Premier Lien Chan attended the ceremony marking the unveiling of a 2-28 memorial monument in Taipei and offered consolations to the surviving family members. The expression of sympathy and the designation of the tragedy as a national memorial day should usher in a new spirit of national reconciliation and resiliency.