Attorney Wellington Koo on Friday filed a class action suit against the Kuomintang on behalf of 33 victims and 75 relatives of victims of the 228 Incident, an anti-government uprising on Feb. 28, 1947 that was violently suppressed by the military. Koo and dozens of relatives of 228 victims gathered in front of the Taipei District Court, where the suit was filed, demanding that the Kuomintang stand trial and that Taiwan be given justice. The attorney said that although the government has made Feb. 28 a national holiday in memory of the victims of the tragic incident and paid compensation to families of the victims, the truth has not been fully revealed and some murderers have yet to be prosecuted. Because the incident occurred at a time when party rule prevailed over the government, the Kuomintang, which held power at the time, should be held responsible, Koo argued. He is demanding that the KMT pay NT$2 billion for the construction and future operations of a National Taiwan 228 Memorial Museum at the 228 Peace Park in Taipei. The 228 Incident remained a taboo subject in Taiwan until the early 1990s, when the Executive Yuan commissioned a study to find out what really happened. In 1997, the Executive Yuan designated Feb. 28 a national holiday and since then commemorative activities have been held around the island every year. On Feb. 28 this year, President Ma Ying-jeou will lead central government officials in attending commemorative activities in Tainan in southern Taiwan, including memorial services, exhibitions, and concerts. Since the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 28 this year, some local governments held memorial services to mark the occasion in advance. In Chiayi and Tainan, local government officials and the public laid wreaths in front of memorial monuments on Friday. Tainan County Magistrate Su Huan-jhih suggested during the memorial service that Feb. 28 should be designated Taiwanese Youth Day as a tribute to the young victims of the 228 Incident and a reminder to young people of their responsibilities to society. 