A new exhibit called "Break Through the Blockade" at the National Human Rights Museum in New Taipei is telling the stories of activists and dissidents during the country's turbulent period under martial law. Historians hope it will educate the public on Taiwan's authoritarian past.
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00:00Highlighting a painful chapter in Taiwan's history, this special exhibit at the National
00:05Museum of Human Rights in New Taipei is shining a light on the country's authoritarian era
00:10by showcasing real-life stories of those who suffered under the martial law regime.
00:24The opening ceremony kicked off with heartfelt performances and remarks from the exhibition
00:29organizers.
00:30Curated by some of the country's top historians, the exhibit, entitled Breaking Through the
00:35Blockade, showcases the stories of activists and dissidents who were blacklisted during
00:40Taiwan's period of martial law from 1949 to 1987.
00:45I was physically deported, so at least they gave me the airplane ticket, you know.
00:49And that was right after the Kaohsiung incident.
00:51And I was always helping the opposition with, you know, news about who's getting arrested.
00:57And now all my friends, everybody was arrested, my husband, everybody.
01:01And I tried to inform as much as I could the news before I was thrown out.
01:06During the 38 years of martial law here in Taiwan, blacklisted activists like Arrigo
01:11were deported, while many others were jailed or tortured.
01:15It's a period historians refer to as the White Terror.
01:18Here at the exhibition, the goal is to educate Taiwanese people on this dark history.
01:23We want to preserve this history, not only in history, but also in people's memories,
01:31especially in the memories of the new generation.
01:35Only when more people know about the history of that time will they understand how precious
01:40and rare Taiwan is today.
01:44Since Taiwan lifted martial law in 1987, it's become one of Asia's most vibrant democracies.
01:50But the country's turbulent past wasn't that long ago, and this exhibit has set out
01:54to make sure the stories of those who suffered under authoritarian rule leave an indelible
01:59impression on visitors, so that their stories of political struggle are not forgotten.
02:05Howard Zhang and Wessie Lewis in New Taipei for Taiwan Plus.