Taiwan Under the Martial Law

-The darkest time of Formosa’s history

Mini EE for History and English Literature

EF International Academy, June 2013

Kevin Hsieh

  Taiwanese people have always seen the martial law as a huge turning point to their country’s history. But what lead to the martial law’s declaration? How did the martial law protect Taiwan from the occupation of the communist China? The headline from BBC News “Remembering Taiwan’s martial law” recounted the darkest time of Formosa’s history, and also conveyed the Taiwanese people’s thoughts about that epoch after all these years. When the communists defeated Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalist government, they retreated to Taiwan in order to survive, and wait for the chance to fight back to Mainland China. Martial law was declared at this time for the purpose of clearing out the communists or any other anti-government power in this island. Thirty-eight years under white terror consolidated the Nationalist’s regime in Taiwan, but also damaged the Taiwanese people’s thought and culture critically. As Taiwan’s economy rose, more and more people anted the government to reform. After people’s sacrifice and fighting, the president Chinag Chin-Kuo rescinded the martial law, and the country finally became a democratic country.

  Taiwan was actually one of Japan’s colonies from 1895 to 1945, so when japan lost World War II, Taiwan was returned to the Chinese Nationalist government. But unfortunately, the Nationalists lost the war with the communists, so they had to fall back. The Nationalist government declared martial law not long after they retreated to Taiwan. (Tian) The limit of the freedom of expression was the main issue for Taiwan in the time under the martial law. As Caroline Gluck, the journalist of the headline, interviewed the Taiwanese Sociology Professor, Michael Hsiao, he said, “ Economic and everyday social life wasn’t so tightly controlled, but in political life, things were strict. They put people in jail, there’s no freedom of expression.” The government didn’t control so many things, but they really gave people a lot of pressure and fear. Gathering or publishing would not be allowed in the era. People also couldn’t establish any political parties, either. “There were military police all over the streets, sign saying ‘communist spies turn your self in’, “ Hsiao added, in his interview with BBC. The secret police of the government, Taiwan Garrison command, were one of the main powers of the investigation or the arrests to the “rebellion”. The government controlled what people could know and what people could read. Police cars, and military vehicles could be seen everywhere in the streets, there were people, who disappeared or got busted by the military police or TGC everyday. Also, even the Chinese refugees who escaped to Taiwan with the Nationalist were the victims. By the time they came to Taiwan, the travel ban made them not able to go back to their hometown. There were a lot of refugees that didn’t have the luck to endure to the time when travel banned canceled during the time when martial law rescinded.

  When the military controlled the power all over the people, the white terror appeared; when fear from the high-handed regime enveloped the whole island, people became weak; some may argue they became cowards. They obeyed the dictatorship, and they didn’t dare to resist the high-handed regime. Taiwan’s situation at that time was just like nowadays North Korea, which is a republic government having a dictatorship. And the Taiwanese people had to live under the white terror until thirty-eight years later. It was a relief that we didn’t have to live under the shadows of the powerhouse anymore, but from the cultural point of view, the martial law intensified the crisis for the people. For example, the nationalist government forced people to speak Mandarin Chinese, and banned people to learn or speak their own language, causing a decrease of Taiwanese fluency in their native language. Ironically, I don’t even know how to speak any Taiwanese at all until some of my friends taught me some basic words and sentences of the language when I came to the United States to study. However, as Taiwan’s economy started to rise in the 1960s and the 1970s, the people started to become unsatisfied about the country’s political situation.

  Though most of the Taiwanese people chose to obey the autocracy, there were still people trying to fight for democracy for their homeland. There were few people, who tried to establish political parties or publish books, newspapers, and magazines to spread the ideology of democracy. The government soon busted or just executed those people in the name of “to weaken the power of the rebellion. However, a dramatic change appeared in the 1980s.

  The brave opposite power and extensively civil protest movement arose, and they were threatening the authority of the government completely. Sure, the government sent the troops and forces to arrest and stop those anti-government powers, but at the same time, the president, China Chin-Kuo, knew that there was no hope for the government to fight back to Mainland China. Antonio Chiang, who was the publisher of a weekly opposition magazine in the time before martial law was rescinded, in an interview, stated “To survive, the party had to identify with this island- so democracy was the only way for Taiwan to survive. If Taiwan didn’t reform enough, there would be no difference between Taiwan and China- and then, why would the United States, or the western countries, support Taiwan?” (Gluck) At the moment when the communist’s government replaced the Nationalist’s government as the representative of China, and the moment when the United States president Richard Nixon shook hands wit the Chinese communist leader, Mao Zedong, in 1972, the government was desperate. They found out that the greatest threat was not from the “Chinese brothers” across the sea, it was from its own people. In 1986, the main power of the civil movement established the Democratic Progressive Party, which is now still one of the powerful parties in Taiwan’s politics. Though the martial law didn’t end yet at that time, the government didn’t send anyone to arrest those people, which conveyed that the time under white terror was nearly at an end. Following the next year, 1987, President Chiang officially rescinded the martial law, which leads to the release of the political prisoners, and the residents of Taiwan finally having their freedom back. As an island that had been occupied by multi- different countries in the past, this should be the greatest gift we ever received in our history.

  The main reason that Nationalist’ government could pass the time under the pressure from the Communist China should be attributed to the United States. Their support to Taiwan made the Nationalist government rebuild, consolidate their regime, and also made them have the military power to defend Taiwan from Chinese Communists’ invasion. During the Korean War, the US also sent their seventh fleet to the Taiwan Strait, in order to avoid giving China the chance to attack during chaos. From an outsiders’ perspective, the United States really gave a big hand to Taiwan’s government. But the martial law had the most important part in the reasons that Taiwan could become a democratic country, which is now separated completely from the Communist China.

  When the Taiwanese people spoke about the time under the white terror, it was always the time that they didn’t want to return to. I wasn’t born in the time like that, but I don’t want to live in the time under the martial law, either. The martial law was the key point for the beginning of those years under dictatorship. At that time, the political situation of Taiwan was urgent. If there was any anti-government power or EVEN revolution in the island at that time, the place would fall into confusion, and China would have the chance to invade. So, the martial law was what actually protected Taiwan in that tense time. The interior power is actually a greater threat than the external power. When people’s minds were controlled, it would also be a lot easier for the government to endure the time under the pressure of being invaded; When suspects were captured, there would be less of a threat from the inside. Actually, there were a lot of suspects that were innocent though… In order to capture and arrest the anti-government power, the government would rather entrap thousands innocent people than omitting any rebels. Many people were frame-up, causing innumerable tragedies. Even till now there were a lot of miscarriages isn’t solved.

  Martial law was definitely one of the darkest times in Taiwan’s history. But, we cannot deny its importance for he democracy Taiwan had now. The Formosans have come along with the occupation from many countries in its six hundred years’ history. Thirty-eight years of martial law protected us from the occupation from communist China, also created a great damage to our own culture and our thoughts. However, after all these years, they learned about how precious democracy is. Also, Taiwan finally has its own freedom back, and it’s one of the few democratic countries in Asia. It’s not real mature yet, and it’s very fail, but it’s fought by those elites who sacrificed themselves to help their own fellow citizens. Formosa’s democracy is just like a boat riding on the Pacific Ocean, could be overturned by any huge waves at any time. This tiny island is the lighthouse of democracy in the East Asia, which illuminates the light of freedom to its surrounding countries, or perhaps even light up the globe.