In Taiwan, remembering the deadly crackdown on democracy ...

Taiwan's former vice president Annette Lu spent more than five years in prison. Gladys Tsai/CNN. He said it is important for the younger ... FormerpoliticalprisonFredChininaformerprisonatJing-MeiWhiteTerrorMemorialPark,wherehewastorturedbysecretpoliceinthe1970s.Whyadecades-olddeadlycrackdownondemocracyisbecomingmoreimportantforTaiwantodayByEricCheung,GladysTsaiandWillRipley,CNNUpdated0607GMT(1407HKT)March1,2022Taipei,Taiwan(CNN)Asayoungman,FredChinspentyearsimprisonedonacraggyislandoffTaiwan.Beforehewassentenced,guardspunchedhim,forcedhimtodrinkhisownblood,andhunghimupsidedownwhiletheypouredsaltywaterintohismouth,hesaid.Malaysian-bornChinhadcometoTaiwantostudyatuniversityin1967,butattractedtheattentionoftheisland'ssecretpolicein1971.Hedoesn'tknowwhy.TheyaccusedhimofbombingaUSgovernmentofficeinTaiwantheyearbeforeandworkingasacommunistspytooverthrowthegovernmentinTaipei.Therewasnoevidence,accordingtoChin,sosecretpolicetorturedhimuntilheconfessedtothecrimesandimprisonedhimfor12years."Theytreateduslikeanimalsanddidn'trespectourdignity,"saidChin,now72."Theywantedmetoadmitthattheexplosionwasdonebyme."FormerpoliticalprisonFredChininaformerprisonatJing-MeiWhiteTerrorMemorialPark,wherehewastorturedbysecretpoliceinthe1970s.ReadMoreChinwasoneofupto200,000peopleimprisonedduringwhatbecameknownasTaiwan's"whiteterror,"afour-decadecrackdownonpoliticaldissentimposedbyanauthoritarianregimebetween1947and1987,accordingtoTaiwangovernmentestimates.BothpoliticalactivistsandapoliticalpeoplelikeChinwerecaughtupinthecrackdown.Untilmartiallawliftedin1987,the"whiteterror"eventswereconsideredataboosubject.China'sleadersmaybewatchingUkrainewithaneyeonTaiwanSince1995,the"whiteterror"hasbeencommemoratedeachyearonFebruary28,thedatethegovernmentviolentlysuppresseda1947uprisinginthecapitalTaipei,consideredtobethestartofthecrackdown.Thedateisalsoshorthandforitspopularname--the228incident.TheTaiwangovernmentestimatesthatbetween18,000and28,000diedduringtheuprising,whileanother10,000diedinthesubsequentfourdecades.AsTaiwanmarks75yearssincetheevent,interestintheisland'spainfuljourneytodemocracyisgrowing--asarefearsthatitcouldbetakenaway.ExpertshavewarnedthatBeijingcouldbetakingnotesfromRussia'sinvasionofUkraineforasimilarmovetowardsTaiwan.TensionsbetweenmainlandChinaandTaiwanhaverisensignificantlyinthelastfewyears--Beijingclaimsself-governedTaiwanaspartofitsterritoryandhasrefusedtoruleouttheuseofmilitaryforce.Activistsandonlookerssaythe"whiteterror"periodonlyhighlightshowdifficultithasbeentowindemocracyontheisland--andhowmuchTaiwanpotentiallystandstolose.AlongfightforfreedomTaiwan,anislandoffthesoutheasterncoastofmainlandChinaandhometo24millionpeople,hashadalonghistoryofbeinggovernedbyoverseaspowers.Forfivedecades,TaiwanwasunderthecontrolofJapanesecolonialrulers.Butin1945,afterJapan'sdefeatinWWII,theislandwashandedtoChina'sthen-rulingNationalistParty--orKuomintang.Lessthantwoyearslater,risingtensionsbetweenlocalTaiwaneseandtheirrulersfrommainlandChinaeruptedintothe228incident,saidWuJieh-min,apoliticalsociologyprofessoratTaiwan'sAcademiaSinica.OnFebruary27,1947,Taipeipolicehitacontrabandcigarettesellerintheheadwhileconfiscatingherwares.Whenbystanderscametoherdefense,policefiredandkilledoneofthem.Thebystander'sdeathsparkedprotestswhichevolvedintosometimesviolentriots,withdemonstratorsexpandingtheircomplaintstoincludegrowinginflation,corruptionandconflictsbetweenlocalsandmainlandChineseofficials.FacingdefeatinacivilwarinmainlandChina,KuomintangleaderChiangKai-shekretreatedtoTaiwanin1949andimposedmartiallawwhichlastedfor38years--oneoftheworld'slongestperiodsofmartiallaw.PresidentChiangKai-shekinTaipeiin1956.HundredsofunwantedstatuesofformerpresidentChiangKai-shekweremovedtoaparkinTaoyuancity,asTaiwanreflectsonhisoppressiveroleduringthe"whiteterror"period.Nevertheless,activistscontinuedtofightfordemocracy.InDecember1979,pro-democracyactivistAnnetteLustoodinfrontofacrowdofabout80,000peopleatahumanrightsparadeinKaohsiungcity.Shehadn'tplannedtospeak,butasshecriticizedtheKuomintanggovernmentfordenyingfreedomtotheTaiwanesepeople,sheremembersthecrowdfallingsilent.Somehadtearsintheireyes,shesaid.Suddenly,shesawmilitarytroopsandpolicefireteargasintothecrowd.Shewasarrestedalongwithotheractivistleadersandsentencedto12yearsinprisonforsedition,duringwhichtimeshesaysshewroteanovelontoiletpaper.Ultimatelyshewasreleasedafterfiveandahalfyears.AnnetteLuin2007,inTaipei,Taiwan.In1987,martiallawwaslifted,anditwasonlyin1996thatTaiwanhelditsfirstdirectPresidentialelection.InTaiwan'ssecond-everpresidentialelection,Lu--whohadoncebeenlockedupforherpoliticalbeliefs--becometheisland'sfirstfemalevicepresident."OnceIjoinedtheoppositionmovement,IknewsoonerorlaterIwouldbejailed,"sheadded."Itoldthecrowdwehadtofighttogether...Themessagelandedmeinprison,butsomanypeople(were)inspiredbyme."TaiwaneseidentityAlthoughtheeventsof"whiteterror"tookplacedecadesago,thisperiodofhistoryisgainingprominenceinTaiwan."Amongtheyoungergeneration,therehasbeenheightenedawarenessaboutwhiteterrorandourhistoryofdemocratizationinrecentyears,"sociologyprofessorWusaid."Newcreationsofliteratureandartworkonthistopicareevidencethatmorepeoplearepayingattention."Earlierthismonth,TaiwaneseindierockbandSorryYouthinvitedavictimtoappearinamusicvideofilmedataformerdetentioncenter.In2019,Taiwanesehorrorfilm"Detention,"setduringthe"whiteterror"period,wasahitattheboxoffice,andwonnumerousawardsatTaipei'sGoldenHorseAward--oftendubbedthe"Chinese-languageOscars."Andin2018,PresidentTsaiIng-wen--onlythesecond-everTaiwanesepresidentnotaffiliatedwiththeKuomintang--setupatransitionaljusticecommitteetoreviewinjusticescommittedduringitsauthoritarianera.ThecommitteeofficiallyexoneratedformerprisonerslikeChinandLuandofferedcompensation.JUSTWATCHEDTaiwan'sPresident:ThreatfromChinaisgrowingeveryday(October,2021)ReplayMoreVideos...MUSTWATCHTaiwan'sPresident:ThreatfromChinaisgrowingeveryday(October,2021)07:32AccordingtoWu,thehistoryofpoliticalsuppressionhasplayedanimportantpartinshapingauniqueidentityamongtheTaiwanesepeople."Taiwannowhasasharedhistoryandidentity.Formany,humanrightsanddemocracyareveryimportant,"hesaid.Discussionsaboutthe"whiteterror"period--andtheimportanceofdemocracy--haveonlygrowninrecentyearsasBeijinghaspiledmilitary,economicanddiplomaticpressureonTaiwantoachieveitslongtermgoalof"reunification"withtheisland.China'srulingCommunistPartyviewsTaiwanasaninseparablepartofitsterritory,despitehavingnevercontrolledit.SomepoliticiansandanalystshaveraisedconcernsthatBeijingmaybewatchingRussia'sinvasionofUkrainewithaneyeonTaiwan.Lastweek,BritishPrimeMinisterBorisJohnsonsaid"echoes"ofwhathappensinUkraine"willbeheardinTaiwan,"whileUSSecretaryofStateAntonyBlinkenalsosaid"othersarewatching"theWesternresponsetoRussia,"evenifit'shalfaworldawayfromEurope."Chinaisn'tabouttoinvadeTaiwan.ButthetwosidesareonadangerouspathForitspart,ChinasaysTaiwanisnotUkraine,claimingtheislandhasbelongedtoChina"sinceancienttimes.""China'ssovereigntyandterritoryhaveneverbeendividedandcannotbedivided.ThisisthestatusquooftheTaiwanquestion,"ForeignMinistryspokespersonHuaChunyingsaidlastweekwhenaskedaboutcomparisonsmadebetweenTaiwanandUkraine.ButwhileexpertsalsopointedoutdifferencesbetweenthegeopoliticalsituationsinUkraineandTaiwan,theisland'sleadersputitsmilitaryon"ahighlevelofvigilance."LastyearChinasenthundredsofwarplanesintotheskiesabovewaterssouthwestoftheisland,promptingtheislandtoissueradiowarningsanddeployairdefensemissilesystemstomonitortheactivities.Taiwan'sDefenseMinister,retiredgeneralChiuKuo-cheng,madeadireprediction--by2025,Chinacouldbeabletomounta"full-scale"invasionofTaiwan.BeijinghaspreviouslycriticizedTaiwan'sgovernmentforusingthe228incidentasatooltopromotetheisland'sseparationfrommainlandChina."IfChinainvadesortakesTaiwanintheforeseeablefuture,I'mveryworriedthatthe228tragedywouldhappenagain,"Wusaid."ThetragedyofthepastiswhymanypeoplearescaredaboutestablishingpoliticaltieswithChinaagain,"hesaid."ForTaiwanesepeople,manywanttoavoidthistragedyfromhappeningagain.AndthisisthereasonwhymanypeopledonotwanttoseeTaiwanfallingintothehandsofaforeignregimeagain."ThepastasawarningVictimsofthe"whiteterror"continuetoprocesswhathappenedtothem--buttheyalsohopetheirexperiencesserveasalessontoyoungergenerations.Chin,whobecameaTaiwanesecitizenafterhistimeinprison,nowspendstimeremindingtheyoungergenerationofTaiwan'spainfulhistorybyofferingguidedtoursatamemorialpark."Wedidn'twantthesekindsofthingstohappenagain,toanyoneelse,"hesaid.AmemorialwallinsideaformerpoliticalprisononGreenIsland,Taiwan,bearsthenamesofthousandsofprisonerssentencedduringthe"whiteterror"period.Anotherwhiteterrorvictim,ChenWu-jen,wasimprisonedfortwoyearsfrom1969afterhescribbledwordsopposingtherulingKuomintangonthebackofanaptitudetestduringhismilitaryconscription.Hewas20.Chen,now73,wentontobecomeanartist.Lastyearhebecamethefirst"whiteterror"victimtoholdanexhibitionatChiangKai-shekMemorialHallinTaipei,abuildingcommemoratingtheleaderwhoonceoppressedhim.Theexhibitionincludedhisoilpaintingsandwoodcarvingsshowingwhatitwasliketobepersecuted,andanareathatinvitedvisitorstoreflecthowTaiwanshouldcorrectitspastmistakesandachievetransitionaljustice.Taiwan'sformervicepresidentAnnetteLuspentmorethanfiveyearsinprison.Hesaiditisimportantfortheyoungergenerationtounderstandthesacrificesmanypeoplemadefordemocracy."Thefreedomweenjoytodaydidnotfallfromthesky,andonlycameaboutbecausemanypeopleworkedhardforit,"headded.Lusaidthismessageisespeciallyimportanttopresent-dayTaiwan."Wehavetoinsistourprinciples--democracy,freedomandthedignity--arewhatourpeopledesirefor,"saidLu,now77."Ourfuturehasalwaysbeendecidedbyoutsiders,"shesaid."Wereallywanttobeourselves."