Vilified as seditionists 20 years ago, the leaders of the Kaohsiung Incident are now the heroes of Taiwan's struggle for democracy after 20 years of what historians call "the quiet revolution."
The origins of this change lie in the founding of Formosa magazine in August 1979. The magazine was more than a political publication. By establishing local chapters throughout the island it became a political party in all but name. Its editorial board was a roll call of the leading opposition tang wai ("outside the party,"
The magazine had planned a rally in Kaohsiung on Dec. 10, 1979 to observe International Human Rights Day. The government reneged on an agreement to allow the Rotary Club Park to be used for a rally, so Formosa supporters attempted to march to another venue.
The march tuned into a riot when the marchers were attacked by riot police lobbing tear gas. To this day the police claim they were attacked first by the marchers, while some of the marchers claim that KMT agent provocateurs in their ranks instigated the violence, giving the police the excuse to attack.
The government, which was quick to condemn the violence as a conspiracy to overturn the government, arrested what it believed to be eight leading organizers, and put them on trial by court martial on charges of sedition.
The Kaohsiung Eight, as they became known, were sentenced to lengthy jail terms for their overt anti-government statements.
"These people tried to cover up their illegal acts by talking about human rights, democracy, and freedom. They used public rallies, speeches, and demonstrations to convey radical opinion that is detrimental to the government's image and national unity. And the end of their plans is to overturn the government," reads the indictment against the Kaohsiung Eight.
A political prisoner for over 25 years, DPP lawmaker Shih Ming-teh (
"Look at what Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Teng-hui have done in pushing for political reform. Everything they were and are doing was what we were pressing the government to do 20 years ago," Shih said.
At his trial in 1980, Shih told the court that the purpose of starting Formosa magazine was to push for democratic reform, which included rescinding martial law, lifting the ban on the formation of political parties, lifting restrictions on the size and establishment of newspapers, and replacing the majority of legislators and national assemblymen who had been elected in China in 1948 with representatives elected from Taiwan.
In fact, all four reforms were carried out subsequently in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In the wake of "localization" of the political climate, considerable efforts were undertaken then to begin emphasizing a Taiwanese identity independent of China, and to reconstruct the history of Taiwan from a Taiwanese perspective.
This prompted a plethora of discussion on the nature of Taiwanese identity in culture, language, and history.
The Kaohsiung incident "was definitely a decisive event through which Taiwanese people were awakened overnight, regaining their strength and courage to defy the authoritarian regime," Shih said.
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