Aug. 15 just passed a few days ago. What is so special about that?
Aug. 15, 1945, was the day Japan surrendered, effectively ending World War II. In Japan, it marks the end of the war; South Korea calls it Liberation Day; and, in North Korea, it is called Liberation of Fatherland Day.
Taiwan, which was also colonized by Japan, did not develop a historical understanding of the date as marking the end of the war until the 1990s, when former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was mayor of Taipei. Prior to that, the event was seen through the blurry Chinese lens of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which conflated it with China’s War of Resistance Against Japan. In the KMT’s and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) China, Sept. 3 marks the day of victory over Japan. In Taiwan, it is called Armed Forces Day.
Calling it “armistice day” would be in line with Japan’s view, but it is also a neutral term as far as Taiwan is concerned. If Taiwan has its own subjective identity, if it is a country, then it should follow the example of Seoul and Pyongyang. Following the Japanese or Chinese definition— whether it be the definition of KMT/Nationalist China or CCP/Communist China — just shows how confused Taiwan is about its history.
The time between Aug. 15 and Oct. 25, 1945 was a period of confusion during which Taiwan descended from liberation into subjugation. Taiwan, which lacked its own national identity, was enveloped in the confusion surrounding the motherland. Korea, which was colonized by Japan from 1910 and 1945, had left and right-wing movements.
Former South Korea president Syngman Rhee and North Korean founder Kim Il-sung asked the KMT and the CCP for help, and although Korea split into North and South, the two remain independent countries.
What about Taiwan? Among idealistic Taiwanese who felt that China was the motherland turned to either the KMT or the CCP, with the result that Taiwan was thrown into a struggle between the two parties, a struggle that remains unsettled.
Taiwanese who welcomed the motherland were liberated on Aug. 15, 1945, only to fall under someone else’s control again on Oct. 25 the same year, when the Nationalist army came to Taiwan to accept the Japanese surrender on behalf of the Allies and proceeded to occupy Taiwan.
Following the 228 Incident in 1947, the government saw an opportunity to eliminate Taiwanese intellectuals and cultural personalities to strengthen its hold on power. In 1949, the KMT was thrown out of China by the CCP, and this was followed in Taiwan by the White Terror era and one of the world’s longest periods of martial law, all to consolidate the KMT’s hold on power.
The KMT, which managed to survive thanks to its resistance to the CCP, later reacted to the move toward democracy by joining hands with China in trying to suppress Taiwan, temporarily extending its failing existence. Taiwan, still lacking a national identity, continues to search for a way forward.
Aug. 15, 1945, was a day of liberation and independence for many former colonies around the world. These new countries have had their ups and downs, but they have been trying to find a way forward as countries with their own national identity.
If Taiwan on Aug. 15, 1945, had chosen to join the ranks of newly independent states, we would not have the current Chinese problem. Although there would have been opposition between the left and the right, as an independent country, Taiwan would not be trapped between KMT and CCP China. Instead, we would probably have had our own politics, economy and culture. We must not repeat the mistakes of history, and all of us who live in Taiwan today must be aware of our past history.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Perry Svensson
You wish every Taiwanese spoke English like I do. I was not born an anglophone, yet I am paid to write and speak in English. It is my working language and my primary idiom in private. I am more than bilingual: I think in English; it is my language now. Can you guess how many native English speakers I had as teachers in my entire life? Zero. I only lived in an English-speaking country, Australia, in my 30s, and it was because I was already fluent that I was able to live and pursue a career. English became my main language during adulthood
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