The Silenced Past Highlights the Freedom of Today

The National Human Rights Museum routinely holds exhibitions to commemorate the Freedom of Speech Day in Taiwan, on April 7. The 2018 exhibition was entitled Days of Silence and detailed how ordinary people went about their daily lives during the martial law era, also presenting the historical context of martial law rule. The exhibition also provided observations on how the specter of martial law has influenced generations since, and encouraged visitors to reflect upon the importance of freedom of speech and the challenges to this right in today’s society.

The 2019 exhibition Unjust Deadline: Postwar Journalists puts the spotlight on press freedom and discusses the martial law government’s tight grip on the press and the stories of persecuted journalists. Through this exhibition, visitors will learn about how the authoritarian regime controlled journalists and get a glimpse into how the media functioned during the martial law era.