Print

Mail

wiki links

Political freedom paid for with blood

Not long ago Chao Yi (趙怡), the director general of the Govern-ment Information Office (GIO) criticized the media for being too picky and too negative about the KMT. His comments not only provoked resentment from the media, but a spokeperson for James Soong (宋楚瑜) seized the chance to attack Chao.

However, the comments from the Soong camp were absurd. Chao's talk may have been inappropriate, but it did not led to any substantive interference. Soong is a former director of the GIO and so far he has not apologized for his past interference with the freedom of the press.

Since 228 Memorial Day came midway through the campaign, it sparked an interest in analyzing the candidates' pasts with their respect for freedom of speech and democracy.

Immediately after the 228 Incident, many reporters and editors were arrested. The large-scale arrests silenced native intellectuals and news commentators for decades. Juan Mei-shu (阮美姝) studied and researched this part of Taiwan's history extensively after the death of her father, Juan Chao-jen (阮朝日), the general manager of the newpaper Taiwan Hsin-sheng Pao (台灣新生報) during the incident. She has pointed that great numbers of newspaper people were detained and executed by the government.

During the short period between retrocession and the declaration of a state of emergency, the news-paper industry experienced a boom. New papers popped up one by one. Journalists were full of patriotism and passion for Taiwan. Their criticism of current events and exposure of social evils made them thorns in the KMT's side. Commentaries were bold, direct, honest and unrelenting.

After the 228 Incident, journalists were arrested, executed or went missing. For example, the founder and president of the Jen Min Tao Pao (人民導報), Sung Fei-ju (宋斐如), was charged with "attacking the government's administration and exposing its weaknesses." Other victims who worked for that paper included its president Wang Tien-teng (王添燈), who was burned alive, and editor Yang Yi (楊毅), a main-lander, who was executed

The founders of Min Pao (民報), Lee Jen-kuei (李仁貴) and Liao Chin-ping (廖進平), were executed as leaders of rebellion. The president of the newspaper, Lin Mou-sheng (林茂生), was arrested and chief editorial writer Chen Wang-cheng (陳旺成) escaped to Shanghai. The Garrison Command shut down the Ming Pao for disseminating "anti-government speech." The paper's legal counsel, Chen Nan (陳南), was executed, while general manager Lin Fu-shu (林佛樹) and journalist Le Shui-yuan (駱水源) were charged with rebellious conspiracy.

The most reputable evening newspaper of the time Ta Ming Pao (大明報) was shut down. Its chief editorial writer Ai Nu-sheng (艾璐生), a mainlander, was executed. Other papers shut down included Chung Wai Jih Pao (中外日報), Ch'ung Chien Jih Pao (重建日報), and Hsing Tai Jih Pao (興台日報).

The 228 Incident turned newspapers into a barren land. The mass media became a mere conduit of the government's views. The KMT's tight control on the media continued into the late 1970's, after Soong took over as GIO Director General.

The New Party's vice-presdidential candidate is Elmer Feng (馮滬祥). In the 1980s, a Formosa magazine (蓬萊島) article said Feng's dissertation was "a translation (of another's work), rather than an original piece." Feng sued magazine president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for libel. Chen received an eight-month jail term and was ordered to pay NT$2 million in damages. The case was generally viewed as a KMT excuse to crackdown on non-KMT forces at the time. The US Congress even held a public hearing on the crackdown on the opposition's freedom of speech.

Chen was obviously a victim of political oppression. After serving his jail term, he did not try to rally sympathy by portraying himself as a victim. Instead, he submitted many constructive policy proposals. He also petitioned for an interpretation of the Constitution over the constitutionality of a electronic media, as well as pushing for the deregulation of the cable industry. The arrival of the electronic media era in Taiwan has a lot do with the DPP's hard work.

Most politicians treat the media as a tool. Examining the relationship between intellectuals, politicians, the media and political democracy from the perspective of the 228 Incident brings up a lot of emotions and opinions. The political oppressors of the past have now became presidential candidates. It goes to show the democratic progress of Taiwan. Hopefully, the people of Taiwan can make rational choices and no longer be oppressed.

Lin Fang-mei is a professor of journalism at National Chengchi University.
This story has been viewed 2017 times.