In January 1987, eight months into his detention, Nylon Cheng was released and acquitted of all charges. He then began to get ready for the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the 228 Massacre, which took place on February 28, 1947 and led to an uprising that saw the deaths of tens of thousands in Taiwan in the hands of the newly-arrived KMT regime. That was the same year Nylon was born. Growing up in a family with an immigrant father from China and a mother born in Taiwan, Nylon was deeply troubled by the massacre. In the decades since then, the regime continued to suppress dissent, censor information, and monitor citizens, in order to eventually erase the memories of the massacre. Though no one talked openly about this painful history, fear remained amongst the people. Victims and their families were afraid to speak up, and most Taiwanese were afraid to go anywhere near ‘politics’. To Nylon, the 228 Massacre was a deep wound cut into the heart of Taiwan. In 1987, he decided it was time to uncover the truth of the state violence known as the 228 or February 28 Massacre.

Nylon Cheng established the “February 28 Peace Promotion Association” (The February 28 Peace Promotion Association) with Dr. 陳永興 Chen Yongshing, the president of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, and attorney at law 李勝雄 Stephen Lee Sheng-hsiung. Two weeks before the commemoration, they held a press conference and organized the first “228 Peace Day Movement” demonstration. This first event was in Tainan, then they began a series of speeches and demonstrations across Taiwan.

The public demonstrations were often met with harassment by the military, the police, and the secret police, who conducted mass searches, confiscations, and engaged in police brutality, sometimes leading to bloody clashes. Despite this, Nylon continued to be active on the streets of Taiwan. When they were in Chiayi City, the group stood in front of the train station and made a long bow, honoring the victims of the 228 Massacre. Commemorating the event and apologizing to the victims this way was unprecedented at the time. But to Nylon, if the government was keeping its silence, then this was something he thought he should do.

At speeches, rallies, and demonstrations, families of victims sometimes emerged cautiously from the crowds. They shook hands with Nylon and and thanked him, while in tears. Nylon told them, “If we stand up and speak out, they too might have the courage to do the same. But even as they came, they still hid in the shadows.”

This public commemoration of the 228 Massacre was the first in Taiwanese history. It demanded truth and justice, and was the first step toward reconciliation. The “228 Peace Day Movement” was one of the most crucial moments in Taiwan’s path for transitional justice .

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