Culture Minister Lee Yung-te visited the Green Island White Terror Memorial Park of the National Human Rights Museum (NHRM) on August 7 and expressed his sorrow for the political prisoners who were detained in prison during the Martial Law period. He hopes that NHRM could speed up the process of restoring the historical truth to reveal the stories of political prisoners.
Minister Lee also paid his respects at the Human Rights Monument and the New Life Correction Center Public Graveyard. Quoting the words of renowned writer Bo Yang (柏楊), "In that era, how many mothers shed tears during the long nights, for their children imprisoned on this island?," he reminded NHRM of the importance of preserving and presenting the history left by our predecessors who dedicated their lives and youth.
NHRM stated that the Green Island Memorial Park was a former prison for political prisoners during the White Terror period. The 32-hectare park includes The New Life Correction Center of the Taiwan Provincial Security Command and The Green Island Correctional Prison of the Ministry of National Defense (also known as the "Oasis Villa") which were set up in the 1950s and 1970s, respectively. The memorial park attracts more than 200 thousand visitors each year and serves as an important site for human rights education, providing a space for the victims to share their stories.
NHRM mentioned that in the 1950s, prisoners at The New Life Correction Center were divided into three brigades and then into four squadrons, which is a total of 12 squadrons including a female squad. The survivors called the fatalities of the prison the "13th Squadron," which included prisoners who passed away due to sickness, suicide, and torture.