During the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) rule in Taiwan, martial law was implemented for 38 years without the Legislative Yuan’s approval or following proper procedures, setting a world record for a so-called democratic country.
When the 228 Incident occurred in 1947, then-chief executive of Taiwan Province, Chen Yi (陳儀), declared martial law. However, the declaration was invalid, because then-acting president Li Zongren (李宗仁) was not informed as stipulated by law. Martial law was lifted on March 1 that same year and reinstated on March 9, until being lifted again by the first Taiwan provincial governor, Wei Dao-ming (魏道明), on May 19.
On May 20, 1949, martial law was again declared by Chen Cheng (陳誠), who held the positions of Taiwan provincial governor and commander-in-chief of the Taiwan provincial police. That year, the Republic of China (ROC) government was overthrown by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which established the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
During an interview with Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham on Oct. 7, 1986, then-president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) revealed his intention to lift martial law. It was officially lifted on July 15, 1987, following the formulation of the National Security Act (國家安全法).
The year that martial law was lifted marked the advancement of Taiwan’s democratization movement, with the ban on the formation of political parties broken by opposition figures who formed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The unprecedented martial law period is a painful scar on Taiwan’s history — it is the KMT’s greatest evil and the ROC’s shame. Martial law was justified using the excuses of defeating communism and a need to restore order. However, in reality, it was simply a weapon of political control for the KMT.
In 2007, 20 years after martial law was lifted, the Ministry of Justice presented a report to the Legislative Yuan saying that there were 29,470 political cases tried by military courts during the martial law period, amounting to 140,000 innocent victims. According to a Judicial Yuan report, there were between 60,000 and 70,000 political cases that impacted an average of three people each, which would add up to about 200,000 political victims.
Between 3,000 and 4,000 people were executed, 40 percent of whom were overseas Chinese. Due to their involvement with the CCP, overseas Chinese were disproportionately harmed during the White Terror era.
Taiwan’s 38 years of martial law caused immense damage. In light of South Korea’s emergency martial law declaration earlier this month, not only did the KMT — which has never apologized to the public — fail to reflect on its past actions, it has instead opted to criticize the DPP.
The KMT does not cherish Taiwan’s democratic values, instead bowing obediently to the CCP that seeks a monopoly on political power and even supporting the PRC that once overthrew it. Following the end of martial law and the start of democratization, Taiwan’s transitional justice gave shelter to the KMT. However, given its transition from an anti-communist party to one that curries the CCP’s favor and undermines governance, the time has come for the public to cast it aside.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Yesterday’s recall and referendum votes garnered mixed results for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). All seven of the KMT lawmakers up for a recall survived the vote, and by a convincing margin of, on average, 35 percent agreeing versus 65 percent disagreeing. However, the referendum sponsored by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on restarting the operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County failed. Despite three times more “yes” votes than “no,” voter turnout fell short of the threshold. The nation needs energy stability, especially with the complex international security situation and significant challenges regarding
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
The fallout from the mass recalls and the referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant continues to monopolize the news. The general consensus is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been bloodied and found wanting, and is in need of reflection and a course correction if it is to avoid electoral defeat. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not emerged unscathed, either, but has the opportunity of making a relatively clean break. That depends on who the party on Oct. 18 picks to replace outgoing KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫). What is certain is that, with the dust settling
RSS