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
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