A mainland official on Wednesday accused "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces of twisting the Feb. 28 Uprising for their own gain.

The uprising by the Taiwan people 70 years ago was against the autocratic rulers of the island, said An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, in response to a question at a press conference.

"Taiwan independence" secessionist forces have long distorted facts of the uprising to stoke conflict and split public opinion on the island, An said.

"They have distorted the truth to support their secessionist activities. Their intentions are despicable," An added.

On Feb. 28, 1947, a Kuomintang (KMT) party enforcement team assaulted a woman near Taipei railway station as she was selling contraband cigarettes.

The incident caused a bloody confrontation between Taiwanese civilians and the KMT government, which developed into an island-wide movement against the suffocating rule of the KMT, who had taken back the island from the Japanese.

A symposium to mark the 70th anniversary of the uprising will be held by the central committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League Thursday in Beijing, An said.