February 28 Incident and White Terror: Trauma and Memory under Taiwan's Authoritarian Rule
30-Second Overview
The February 28 Incident (1947) marked a critical watershed in Taiwan's modern history, signaling the beginning of the Kuomintang's authoritarian rule. The subsequent 38 years of martial law created an atmosphere of White Terror, where political dissent was ruthlessly suppressed and countless families were torn apart. This historical trauma profoundly shaped Taiwanese society until the gradual lifting of martial law allowed the island to begin confronting the truth and pursuing transitional justice—a crucial aspect of Taiwan's democratization process.
Keywords: February 28 Incident, White Terror, Martial Law, Political Victims, Transitional Justice, Authoritarian Rule
Why This Matters
The February 28 Incident and White Terror represent unavoidable chapters in understanding Taiwan's modern history:
Democratic Foundations
This authoritarian experience shaped Taiwanese people's cherishing of democratic freedoms. Many democratic movement activists' families were affected by White Terror, creating a deep reflection on authoritarian systems.
Collective Memory of Social Trauma
The trauma caused by state violence affected not only direct victims but created collective memory throughout society, influencing Taiwanese political consciousness and identity formation.
Practical Significance for Transitional Justice
Taiwan's transitional justice experience provides important reference for other countries transitioning from authoritarianism to democracy, demonstrating how to address historical injustices within a democratic framework.
February 28 Incident: The Starting Point of Tragedy
Background to the Outbreak
Post-War Administrative Chaos (1945-1947):
- Taiwan transitioned from Japanese colonial rule to Republic of China administration
- Chen Yi served as Taiwan Provincial Administrator, implementing military governance
- Economic depression, inflation, material shortages
- Official corruption and administrative inefficiency
Cultural and Institutional Gaps:
- Communication barriers (Taiwanese, Japanese vs. Beijing Mandarin)
- Legal concept differences (Japanese rule of law vs. personal rule traditions)
- Disappointed expectations of political participation (expected autonomy but received authoritarian rule)
Social Tensions:
- Folk saying "dogs leave, pigs come" reflected popular sentiment
- Friction between Taiwanese and Mainlanders
- Intellectuals' expectations and disappointment with political reform
Course of Events (February 27 - May 1947)
The Spark: Tobacco Monopoly Incident (February 27):
- Conflict over illegal tobacco confiscation on Taipei's Yanping North Road
- Lin Jiangmai from the Monopoly Bureau was beaten by enforcement officers
- Crowd gathered to protest, military police opened fire, killing Chen Wenxi
- Sparked intense public outrage
Island-wide Protests Spread (February 28 - early March):
- Taipei citizens surrounded the Monopoly Bureau and seized the radio station
- Responses across the island, establishment of "February 28 Incident Settlement Committees"
- Political reform demands included:
- Reform of the Taiwan Provincial Administrative Office
- Taiwanese participation in politics
- Judicial independence
- Freedom of speech guarantees
Military Suppression (from March 8):
- KMT government dispatched the 21st Division to Taiwan
- Severe suppression of protesters
- Arrest of intellectuals and social elites
- Implementation of martial law and "pacification" operations
Casualties and Impact
Direct Casualties:
- Estimated deaths between 18,000-28,000 people
- Including innocent civilians, intellectuals, social elites
- Many families destroyed, separated
Social Impact:
- Depletion of Taiwan's social elites
- Creation of "political phobia"
- Tension between Taiwanese and Mainlander ethnic groups
- Catalyzed Taiwan independence consciousness
Political Consequences:
- Chen Yi stepped down, replaced by Wei Daoming
- Taiwan martial law declared on May 19, 1949
- Foundation laid for subsequent White Terror
White Terror Period: The Silenced Years
Establishment of Martial Law System
Legal Foundation:
- May 19, 1949 Martial Law Declaration
- "Temporary Provisions during the Period of Mobilization for Suppression of Communist Rebellion"
- "Act for the Punishment of Rebellion"
- "Act for the Detection of Communist Spies"
These laws granted military authorities extensive powers to:
- Restrict people's freedom of assembly, association, and speech
- Try civilians in military courts
- Arrest and imprison without judicial process
- Implement press censorship
Secret Police Network:
- Taiwan Garrison Command
- Ministry of National Defense Military Intelligence Bureau
- Investigation Bureau (predecessor: Bureau of Investigation and Statistics)
- Personnel screening units in schools and agencies at all levels
Types of Political Cases
Thought Crimes:
- Reading or possessing "banned books"
- Discussing socialist or communist ideas
- Criticizing government policies
Organization Cases:
- Participating in underground reading groups
- Forming political organizations
- Planning anti-government activities
Espionage Cases:
- Accused of being "communist spies"
- Contact with Mainland China
- Gathering military intelligence
False Accusations:
- Imprisonment based on reports or false accusations
- Family member implication
- Baseless charges
Major Political Cases
Keelung Middle School Case (1949):
- Teachers and students arrested for reading leftist books
- Principal Zhong Haodong and others executed
Baikeola Terror Case (1950):
- Organization case involving National Taiwan University and Normal College students
- Follow-up to the April 6th Incident
Provincial Work Committee Case (1950-1952):
- Taiwan Provincial Work Committee organization case
- Many young students and teachers victimized
Lei Zhen Case (1960):
- Lei Zhen, publisher of "Free China"
- Arrested and sentenced for attempting to form opposition party
Formosa Incident (1979):
- Dangwai (opposition) activists organized "Formosa Magazine"
- Kaohsiung incident led to large-scale arrests
Life on the Prison Island
Green Island, Fire-Burning Island:
- Political prisoner concentration camps
- "New Life Guidance Centers" for thought reform
- Forced labor and political study
Military Prisons:
- Taipei Qingdao East Road Detention Center
- Other military prisons across the island
- Strict management and periodic reviews
Family Implication:
- Political prisoners' families faced discrimination
- Restrictions on work and education
- Broken social relationship networks
Stories and Testimonies of Victims
Intellectuals' Ordeals
Writer Zhong Lihe's Brother Zhong Haodong:
- Principal of Keelung Middle School
- Executed for leftist ideology
- Wife Jiang Biyu raised children alone
Writer Yang Kui:
- Pioneer of Taiwanese literature
- Imprisoned for 12 years for "Peace Declaration"
- Continued writing on Green Island
Philosopher Yin Haiguang:
- Liberal thinker
- Under long-term surveillance
- Died young
Youth Students' Tragedies
National Taiwan University Students' April 6th Incident:
- 1949 arrest of NTU and Normal College students
- Many young talents disappeared
- Campus became part of terror rule
Provincial Normal College Incident:
- Normal school students imprisoned for reading group activities
- Future teachers became political prisoners
- Education sector lived in fear
Female Political Prisoners' Plight
Ding Yaojiao:
- 27-year-old female teacher
- Sentenced to death for participating in underground organizations
- Wrote "Farewell, My Love" before execution
Shi Shuihuan:
- Implicated through husband's political case
- Raised children alone, facing discrimination
- Represented countless tragic families of political prisoners
Social Control and Ideological Suppression
Educational System Transformation
Textbook Censorship:
- Unified textbook compilation
- Indoctrination with anti-communist recovery ideology
- Prohibition of local historical and cultural content
Campus Surveillance:
- Placement of informants among students
- Teacher ideological screening
- Strict control of student activities
Language Policy:
- Movement to prohibit dialect speaking
- Promotion of Mandarin policy
- Suppression of local culture
News Media Control
Press Ban System:
- Limitation on newspaper circulation
- News censorship system
- Prohibition of political commentary
Publication Control:
- Book pre-approval system
- Banned book lists
- Prohibition of leftist and Taiwan independence books
Radio and Television Monopoly:
- Government control of all radio stations
- Unified news broadcasting
- Politically correct entertainment programs
Social Surveillance Network
Neighborhood Watch System:
- Continuation of the Baojia system
- Strict household registration
- Neighbor mutual surveillance
Workplace Control:
- Political ideology screening
- Promotion linked to political stance
- Strict control of labor unions
Religious Group Control:
- Temple registration system
- Prohibition of political religious activities
- Use of religion for political propaganda
Resistance and Underground Activities
Cultural Resistance
Literary Creation:
- Nativist literature debate
- Metaphorical political criticism
- Literary expression of local consciousness
Folk Song Movement:
- Political songs like "Beautiful Formosa"
- University campus folk song creation
- Social concern in music
Art Creation:
- Political metaphors in modern art
- Rediscovery of local themes
- Artists' social participation
Political Resistance
Underground Publications:
- "Free China" magazine
- "Literary Star" magazine
- Dangwai magazine groups
Opposition Movement:
- Chungli Incident (1977)
- Formosa Incident (1979)
- Various social movements
Overseas Taiwan Independence Movement:
- Overseas Taiwanese student movement
- Establishment of Taiwan independence organizations
- International propaganda activities
Lifting of Martial Law and Memory Reconstruction
The Coming of Democratization (1987)
Political Changes:
- Chiang Ching-kuo's policy shift in his later years
- International pressure and internal reform voices
- Lifting of martial law on July 15, 1987
Social Opening:
- Lifting of party and press bans
- Flourishing civil society organizations
- Gradual release of political prisoners
Pursuit of Historical Truth
February 28 Incident Investigation:
- Official investigation began in the 1990s
- Publication of "February 28 Incident Research Report"
- Executive Yuan apology and state compensation
Opening of Political Archives:
- Enactment of National Archives Act
- Gradual opening of military and intelligence files
- Scholarly research work commenced
Oral History Movement:
- Rescue of political victim testimonies
- Promotion of civilian historical work
- Establishment of pluralistic historical views
Commemoration and Reflection
Memorial Space Construction:
- February 28 Peace Park
- Green Island Human Rights Park
- National Human Rights Museum
Literary and Film Works:
- Political victim memoirs
- Related movies and TV dramas
- Literary representations of history
Educational Promotion:
- Revision of textbook content
- Promotion of human rights education
- Campus transitional justice
Promotion of Transitional Justice
Legal System Construction
"Act on Promoting Transitional Justice" (2017):
- Establishment of Transitional Justice Commission
- Opening and organization of political archives
- Removal of authoritarian symbols
"Political Archives Act":
- Regulations for political archive management
- Protection of parties' reading rights
- Timeline for archive opening
National Compensation System:
- Compensation for February 28 victims
- Compensation for White Terror victims
- Restoration of reputation and vindication
Truth Investigation Work
Archive Organization and Research:
- Organization of military and intelligence agency archives
- Investigation of perpetrators and perpetration systems
- Clarification of case truths
Oral History Collection:
- Interviews with victims and families
- Collection of witness testimonies
- Preservation of historical memory
Transnational Archive Investigation:
- Related archives in the United States
- Archival materials from other countries
- Clarification of international context
Social Dialogue and Reconciliation
Perpetrator Responsibility:
- Clarification of perpetration systems
- Pursuit of individual responsibility
- Review of institutional responsibility
Social Reconciliation:
- Dialogue between different positions
- Communication of historical understanding
- Construction of reconciliation vision
Future Prevention:
- Human rights protection mechanisms
- Consolidation of democratic institutions
- Prevention of authoritarian restoration
International Comparisons and Experiences
South African Model
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Conditional amnesty system
- Rainbow nation reconciliation vision
German Model
- Opening of East German archives
- Systematic historical reckoning
- Legal procedures for accountability
Korean Model
- Vindication of Gwangju Incident
- Reckoning with military dictatorship
- Victory of democratization movement
Taiwanese Characteristics
- Gradual pursuit of truth
- Coexistence of pluralistic historical views
- Seeking social consensus
Contemporary Significance and Reflection
Establishment of Democratic Values
Human Rights Consciousness:
- Basic human rights are inviolable
- Cherishing political freedom
- Establishment of rule of law state
Pluralistic Society:
- Respect for different opinions
- Protection of minority rights
- Tolerance for diverse values
Importance of Historical Education
Memory Transmission:
- Preventing historical repetition
- Education of younger generations
- Cultivation of democratic literacy
Critical Thinking:
- Independent thinking ability
- Media literacy
- Spirit of questioning authority
Ongoing Challenges
Historical Understanding Divergence:
- Coexistence of different historical views
- Politicized interpretations
- Risk of social division
Limitations of Transitional Justice:
- Time factor constraints
- Political reality considerations
- Difficulty achieving social consensus
New Authoritarian Vigilance:
- Risk of democratic backsliding
- Possibility of authoritarian restoration
- Civil society oversight
Further Reading
Related Articles
Important Historical Materials
- February 28 Incident Responsibility Attribution Research Report — February 28 Incident Memorial Foundation
- Historical Materials Collection of White Terror Cases During Martial Law Period — Published by National Human Rights Museum
- National Human Rights Museum Collection — National Human Rights Memory Database
- Transitional Justice Commission Reports — Executive Yuan Transitional Justice Committee (TJC Information Archive)
Reference Institutions
- National Human Rights Museum
- February 28 National Memorial Museum
- Taiwan Truth and Reconciliation Promotion Association
- Taiwan Political Victims' Mutual Aid Association
The February 28 Incident and White Terror are histories that Taiwan cannot forget, and are also important nutrients for democratic Taiwan. Only by confronting past trauma and pursuing historical truth can we build a more mature democratic society and ensure that the promise of "never again shall state violence occur" can be realized.