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台灣八一五終戰和平宣言
七十年前的今天，一場血腥又漫長的戰爭，終於結束。在場戰爭中，二十多萬台灣人被徵召參戰，三萬多人埋骨異域，包括美中等國在內的盟軍對台空襲，讓許多人家園破碎，痛失摯愛的親人。
當全世界歡慶第二次世界大戰的終結，台灣人民卻從未得到平靜與幸福。時局的撥弄下，台灣被迫捲入國共內戰，長達五十年的戒嚴政權，剝奪了台灣人民追求民主的權利。直到台灣人民忍辱推動民主改革，完成總統直選，威權遺緒的陰影依舊存在。少數竊取民主成果的人以經濟發展為名，掠奪年輕世代的機會和資源；統治者更將國共爭奪正統中國代表權的鬥爭，強加於下一代的歷史教育。
青年學子為此起身抵抗，甚至犧牲生命；無論上一代抑或下一代，還無法真正主導我們自己的命運。
即便在二戰結束的七十年間，對台灣的軍事威脅也從不曾遠去。台灣位於日本大東亞戰爭的先鋒，亦為東西冷戰的前線。當蘇聯解體，未享和平紅利，反使台灣陷入中國領土擴張的紛擾；中國積極從事亞太軍事擴張，使台海在內的東亞地區，再度被戰爭陰影籠罩。
台灣人民比誰都期待戰爭的結束與和平。二戰後縈繞在台灣島上空的夢魘，不僅有外部強權迫使台灣人民參與非己所欲的衝突，更有外來政權長期統治下，台灣人民與自己的歷史及土地嚴重疏離所形成的認同混淆。外部強權加諸於台灣人民的紛擾，外來政權帶來的統獨社會分歧，亟待釐清與終結！
我們期待的和平，是有尊嚴和正義的和平。並非以主權的退讓向敵人換取非戰，而是在有選擇的狀態下達到無戰之境。正如馬丁路德金恩博士所言︰「和平不是衝突的缺席，而是正義的存在。(Peace is not the Absence of Conflict, but the Presence of Justice.)」對台灣人民來說，和平的真諦亦是如此。不是衝突的消弭，而是正義的到來。
三點主張與一點呼籲
回顧過往與展望未來，在二戰結束七十年的八一五終戰日，我們對和平有以下三點主張與一點呼籲：
—我們要維持台海有尊嚴的和平，不是一紙毫無保障及踐踏台灣主權認同的和平協議
—我們期待全亞洲有公義的和平，不是一個向強權綏靖與無視正義原則的休戰狀態
—我們希望全球人類永續的和平，不是一個忽視人權、排斥多元、強化階級與對世代的剝削，憑藉恐懼恫嚇以維持的秩序
這代表我們對和平的嚴正訴求。我們在此也呼籲政府，為所有於二戰期間在台灣的戰爭受難者以及殉難的台灣人立碑，並在每年的八一五終戰日舉行紀念儀式。紀念不僅是追念二戰期間在台灣這塊土地上死難的人民，也是自我警惕，提醒我們勿讓台灣重蹈覆轍，使悲慘的歷史再度上演。
發起：基進側翼、台左維新、共生音樂節、台灣教授協會、陳翠蓮、陳君愷、陳俐甫、賴怡忠等
Taiwanese Declaration of Peace in Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the End of World War II
Seventy years ago today, the bloody and prolonged Second World War finally came to an end. Of more than 200,000 Taiwanese drafted to fight for Imperial Japan in the Pacific, more than 30,000 of them were killed on foreign soil and never returned. Time was equally hard for residents in the Japanese colony, who had to endure Allied bombing and perishing of their loved ones.
As the world celebrated the end of the war in 1945, the people of Taiwan was unable to enjoy peace and well-being they deserved. The post-war period began with a twist of fate as the island was dragged into the Chinese Civil War between the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party. For the following five decades the Taiwanese lived under an authoritarian regime which robbed the people of their right to pursuit democracy. It was until the Taiwanese elected their president for the first time in 1996 that Taiwan could call itself a true democracy. However, shadow of the authoritarian legacy still clouds over the Taiwanese up to this day. While democratization bears fruits of economic growth, the young generation’s opportunities and resources have been taken away to benefit the selected few. Those in power has been trying to force the China-centric perspective upon the next generation by manipulating history textbooks.
Students rose to the occasion and fought for their rights. One of them even sacrificed his life for the noble cause. The situation is clear -- people in Taiwan have yet been able to control their own destiny after seven decades.
It has been 70 years since the World War II ended on August 15, 1945, the people of Taiwan nonetheless have been facing military threats each and every day during the period. They have been forced to participate in Japan’s Great East Asia War and later live on the frontline of the Cold War without reaping dividends from the collapse of the Soviet Union. Conversely, Taiwan was once again caught in the middle of China’s ambitious territorial expansion dream.
None other than the Taiwanese people look forward to living in peace without fear of armed conflict. They were forced to engage in unnecessary conflicts by alien regimes, and even more so, they have had self-identity issues due to alienation from their own history under past alien regimes. The turmoil and division forced upon the Taiwanese would need to be stopped.
People in Taiwan long for peace with dignity and justice. Rather than succumbing to enemies in exchange of temporary peace, we want to attain peace with a choice. Like Martin Luther King said, Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice.
Our positions and appeal
Looking back to our history and into the future on this historic day, here are our three positions and an appeal:
-- We call for maintaining dignified peace across the Taiwan Strait, not an insecure peace agreement that would erode Taiwan’s sovereignty.
-- We expect justified peace throughout Asia, not an armistice without principle of justice that appeases to powers.
-- We long for sustainable peace for humankind, neither generational exploitation that ignores human rights, eliminate diversity and strengthen class system nor superficial order based on fear and intimidation.
This is our solemn appeal for peace. We call for Taiwan government to erect a monument for all those who suffered and perished during the World War II and to hold a memorial ceremony every year today as not only a commemoration of those Taiwanese who lost their lives in the war but also a vigilance which reminds ourselves that Taiwan should never repeat the same mistake.
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