Taipei, Feb 26 (DPA) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian Monday blamed his predecessor Chiang Kai-shek for a 1947 massacre that killed tens of thousands of Taiwanese - a move that might widen ethnic divisions.
"Archives show that Chiang Kai-shek was the main culprit in the Feb 28 incident," Chen said while opening an international seminar on the massacre.
"But he still enjoys esteem and the status of an emperor. So far, none of those who were involved in the Feb 28 incident have been punished.
Chen said he has taken steps to erase the influence of Chiang, who led the government of the Republic of China, first on the mainland and then on Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War to the Communists, from 1928 until his death in 1975.
Chen's administration has changed the name of Chiehshou Boulevard, which means Kai-shek Longevity Boulevard, to Kaitakelan Boulevard, named after a Taiwanese aboriginal tribe, and removed 200 Chiang statues from military camps.
Monday's seminar was held to mark the 60th anniversary of the massacre, which has divided the native Taiwanese and Chinese mainlanders on the island. Public discussion on the incident was long suppressed by Nationalists governments, which ruled Taiwan until 2000 when the native opposition DPP won elections.
A poll of 868 adults by the United Daily News showed Monday that 78 percent of the respondents found it unnecessary to pursue the Feb 28 incident and 51 percent thought Chiang, who ruled Taiwan with an iron fist from 1949, contributed to the island's prosperity.
The Feb 28 incident was triggered by the arrest of a woman selling cigarettes without a license in Taipei by Chinese Nationalist inspectors. The arrest triggered a mass protest suppressed by Nationalist troops and called a riot by the administration under Chiang.
Estimates of the death toll range from 15,500 to 28,000.
The massacre deepened Taiwan natives' hatred of Chinese mainlanders as Taiwan had just returned in 1945 to Chinese rule after a five-decade colonization by Japan and many Taiwanese still considered themselves Japanese rather than Chinese.
Since he came to power, Chen has been promoting Taiwan as a sovereign country and in 2006 launched the name-change campaign to delete "China", "Chinese" and "Chiang Kai-shek" from street and enterprise names.
Since then, Chen has renamed the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport to Taoyuan International Airport after the county where the airport is located and has recently changed three company names.
On Feb 28, Taiwan plans to launch its new stamp bearing the English word Taiwan instead of Republic of China, which is Taiwan's formal title.
China, which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province, is closely monitoring Taiwan's name-change movement, warning that it will not sit idle if Taipei seeks formal independence from China or indefinitely delays reunification with the mainland.
Chiang's Nationalist Party has opposed the name-change moves, saying removing Chiang's name is an attempt to change history and taking out "China" would heighten tensions with the mainland.