Observance ignores truth
Once again, the annual farce returns. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), in its endless efforts to brainwash the public, continues in its insane observation of “Retrocession Day” (光復節).
However, anyone who actually makes a careful examination of what is being remembered will quickly realize the farcical exercise that it is.
The English word “retrocession” is made up of two parts. The root — “cession” — is the noun form of the verb “cede.”
Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895. The claim is that on Oct. 25, 1945, Japan ceded Taiwan to the Republic of China (ROC).
The prefix “retro” means to return to a previous state. The implication here is that Taiwan is being returned to or “ceded back” to the ROC.
The Chinese name of the observance is even more insidious: Taiwan guangfu (臺灣光復). The character fu (復) means “to return after having gone away,” while guang (光) means “glorious.” Guangfu means “glorious return” in Mandarin. With “Taiwan” coming prior to that, it clearly indicates that Taiwan was “gloriously returned” to the ROC.
Furthermore, the government reinforces this in the minds of the public as nearly every town, city and district in the nation has a Guangfu Road.
However, an examination of the facts shows this to be a farce.
The Allied powers, led by the US, defeated Japan in World War II. To be sure, the ROC was a major ally in the fight and part of the victory. Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Sept. 2, 1945. On the same day, US Army General Douglas MacArthur signed General Order No. 1. Included in that order were instructions for the ROC to accept Japan’s surrender in Taiwan.
This was no easy task for the ROC, as its navy existed pretty much in name only, having been smashed by the Japanese early in the war. It needed a lift from the US Navy to accept that surrender on Oct. 25. This is the basis for the so-called “retrocession” or “glorious return.”
However, there is absolutely no basis in international law for these claims. There is no precedent for an order by a general to be sufficient basis for the transfer of sovereignty from one state to another.
Furthermore, by the same logic, Manchuria would have passed to the sovereignty of the former Soviet Union, northern Vietnam to China’s and southern Korea to that of the US. Of course, none of this happened.
In addition, the implication in both the English and Chinese names of the day is that Taiwan had been a part of the ROC. This is also false. Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895 by the Qing Dynasty, nearly 17 years before the founding of the ROC on the first day of 1912.
Taiwanese deserve to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. However, it is obvious that the KMT seeks to keep feeding nothing more than lies, half-truths and propaganda.
It is time for this to end, along with the observance of “Taiwan Guangfu Memorial Day,” as well as the continued use of the name for streets all over the nation.
Michael Le Houllier
Taichung, Taiwan
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