On February 28, 2004, there were about two million people forming a human chain across the island of Taiwan, which marks the largest peaceful demonstration ever in the history of Taiwan. This human chain, which was in protest of China deployment of missiles aimed at Taiwan, stretched from Keelung down the nearly 500 kilometers of Taiwan west coast to Pintung. Indeed, participants in the hand-in-hand rally came from all walks of life, and many overseas Taiwanese and foreign friends of Taiwan also joined the rally. It was an emotive, and memorable event, as people stood hand-in-hand chanting major slogans such as, Yes to Taiwan, Oppose Missiles and Love Peace.

In fact, February 28 (or what is popularly known as 2-28) has long been a special date for the people of Taiwan, as it is a time of reflection. It all started on February 28, 1947, when an old woman vender in a street of Taipei was accused and arrested for selling contraband cigarettes by a couple of armed agents of the KMT government. The woman denied the charges and begged for leniency. However, the agents rude treatment of the woman angered the bystanders and instigated tensions as well as conflict between the people and the KMT authorities.

Following on from this incident there was to be an island-wide protest against the KMT government corruption. In response, Chinese Nationalist troops were called in from Mainland China to crush the island-wide rioting. Thousands of Taiwanese people accused of joining the riots were jailed and executed without due process of law. From the late 1940 onwards, under the martial law period imposed by the KMT, the 2-28 incident was to become a social and political taboo that people fearfully avoided mentioning. It was only in the early 1990s, when former President Lee Teng-hui became the first president to make an apology to the victims and their families on behalf of the government that the taboo was broken.

Thus in many respects, the 2-28 incident has been regarded as a turning point, and as a time when Taiwanese began to wake up from the euphoria of being liberated from imperialist Japan to join the Chinese motherland. It was from this point on that native Taiwanese started struggling against the harsh rule exacted by the KMT, and in a gradual rejection of this foreign political regime, the people instead called for democracy, freedom, and Taiwan independence. It has thus been a multifaceted process, which was culminated in May 20, 2000, when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was able to achieve a peaceful transition of political power by winning the presidential election in March of the same year.

Given the historical significance of the 2-28 incident, the human chain rally, which also marked the 57th anniversary of that incident, has had a number of implications regarding Taiwan future and its relations with China.

At the recent rally, in speaking on the issue of attitudes toward the 228 Incident, President Chen said, "love for Taiwan, this nation and its people; with tolerance for history and each other; with introspection about the mistakes of the past and about ourselves; this should be our basic attitude." Thus one could argue that the hand-in-hand rally symbolizes the beginning of a new era for the people of Taiwan. But most importantly, the rally has sent a strong message to China that Taiwan sovereignty belongs to the people in Taiwan.

Taiwan 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally has sent a strong message to China that Taiwan sovereignty belongs to the people in Taiwan.

Taiwan 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally is a demonstration in the form of a human chain held in Taiwan on Peace Memorial Day (February 28), 2004. Over two million Taiwanese formed a 500-kilometer (300-mile) long human chain, from the harbor at Keelung, Taiwan's northernmost city, to its southern tip at Eluanbi, Pingtung County to commemorate the 228 Incident, to call for peace, and to protest the deployment of missiles by the People's Republic of China aimed at Taiwan along the mainland coast. Taiwan 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally has sent a strong message to China that Taiwan sovereignty belongs to the people in Taiwan.

This demonstration was inspired by Baltic way, the human chain comprised of two million that was organized in the Baltic states in 1989, where the Soviet Union later invaded to stop the Baltic states from declaring independence.

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