blinkers must be a hot fashion item.
I must admit that I would like to know where the size AC is using can be had, apart from the US KMT support store, that is.
I though 2-28 holiday was about the oppressions of KMT ABCs after the love-boat was shut down?
A sad day indeed when the DPP administration stopped subsidizing the love-boat and 10-10 day flyback programs…
Hopeful the next administration will correct these oversights…
After receiving letters from Chen-Yi (Governor of Taiwan) CKS sends the most brutal division of his army (from Sze-Chuan), and give the order to supress all who revolt against KMT and their administration ( Chen-Yi’s letter to CKS stated Japanese and Communist are behind the riot). This clearly show CKS are responsible for the killing, as in fact he gave the order, but Chen-Yi are to blame for deciving CKS.
Chen-Yi was sentence to death for “Connection with Communist” has absolutly nothing to do with 228 Incident.
Althought CKS gave the order, he was not to blame because he was decived.
his true crime in this, is the fact he try to brainwash people into thinking 228 never happend, and making this topic a “taboo”
[quote=“2wild4canucks”]After receiving letters from Chen-Yi (Governor of Taiwan) CKS sends the most brutal division of his army (from Sze-Chuan), and give the order to supress all who revolt against KMT and their administration ( Chen-Yi’s letter to CKS stated Japanese and Communist are behind the riot). This clearly show CKS are responsible for the killing, as in fact he gave the order, but Chen-Yi are to blame for deciving CKS.
[/quote]
According to a special program on the 228 incident on one of the news channels just now, the KMT’s 21st division was this brutal division that was responsible for most of the killings on the island over 60 years ago. After it carried out the dirty work, it remained in Taiwan for just a few months before it was deployed back to the mainland to fight the Communists in Shanghai, and it was subsequently annihilated by the Communists. Pretty ironic stuff that the Communists actually avenged the 228 killings for the Taiwanese. The show also pointed out that many of the '49ers that came with CKS had no knowledge of the incident which occurred 2 years before and some didn’t even know where Taiwan was. Fact or revisionist history? 
[quote=“The People’s Daily”]早在3月2日，陳儀見形勢不妙，就急電南京：“台灣發生暴亂，已及全省，形勢危急，請速派國軍赴台救援。”蔣介石接報，經與國民黨要員商量，均認定“二二八起義”是“暴亂”，為防止事態擴大，必須採取果斷措施，進行鎮壓。蔣介石立即電令駐守上海的21軍火速乘船趕赴台灣增援，並限令於8日前趕到。
3月8日中午，21軍先頭部隊在基隆登陸。遭到起義群眾阻攔后，21軍竟在船上架起機槍向碼頭上的群眾掃射。9日，國民黨主力部隊在血洗基隆后，進駐台北，與駐守在台灣南部地區的國民黨“高雄要塞司令”彭孟緝聯手，對起義群眾進行大規模鎮壓。經過近半個月的艱苦斗爭，轟轟烈烈的“二二八起義”最終失敗。[/quote]
Source: 二二八起義
(I will edit in an English translation when I have time.)
With 228 fast approaching, here’s the link to the original New York Times report: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F04E1DB143EE13BBC4151DFB566838C659EDE
For those who can’t see the news article, someone posted the contents over on facebook:
facebook.com/media/set/?set … 253&type=1
Some brief passages:
[quote=“the New York TImes”]The anti-Government demonstrations were said to have been by unarmed persons whose intentions were peaceful. Every foreign report to Nanking denies charges that Communists or Japanese inspired or organized the parades.
…
An American who had just arrived in China from Taihoku said that troops from the mainland arrived there March 7 and indulged in three days of indiscriminate killing and looting. For a time everyone seen on the streets was shot at, homes were broken into and occupants killed.
…
The foreign witnesses reported that leaflets signed with the name of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek promising leniency, and urging all who had fled to return, were dropped from airplanes. As a result many came back to be imprisoned or executed. “There seemed to be a policy of killing off all the best people,” one foreigner asserted.
…
Formosans are reported to be seeking United Nations’ action on their case. Some have approached foreign consuls to ask that Formosa be put under the jurisdiction of Allied Supreme Command or be made an American protectorate. Formosan hostility to the mainland Chinese has deepened. Two women who described events at Pingtung said that when Formosans assembled to take over the administration of the town they sang “The Star Spangled Banner.” [/quote]
I actually went to the article because it had some rarely seen photos of 228 related public executions.
The same facebook link included a piece, called Terror in Taiwan, by Newsweek
I showed that to my wife (well, 酥餅’s translation anyway) yesterday and she was shocked to see it from an outside perspective. I think the UN should require students of every country spend a certain amount of time reading about how other countries view them and their historic events. That would be a real eye-opener for Japan.
A long while ago I came across Kenneth W. Dowie’s letters documenting what he witnessed, that was indeed an eye-opener. The letters were addressed to George William Mackay (son of George Leslie Mackay). I also learned a lot more about the Mackay family and developed a great respect for the Taiwanese Presbyterian church.
Letter from Kenneth W. Dowie
fahrusa.org/original.htm
I think I originally saw it on Michael Turton’s website:
michaelturton.blogspot.com/2009/ … count.html
Also recently came across the case of Walis Wumi (林明勇 Lin Ming-yong).
gikong.org.tw/f2/index.php?load=read&id=41
Walis Wumi became the leader of a Truku tribal village during the Japanese era. Walis Wumi celebrated the KMT’s arrival, and became the first KMT appointed head of Xiolin (秀林) rural townships in Hualian. Immediately after the outbreak of the 228 incident, Walis was appointed to the special 228 crisis handling committee in Hualian, he was one of a total of 5 members.
Walis’ grandson Nanan Dadaw have always been told that his grandfather committed suicide by hanging himself. Nanan always found it weird since the site was lacking trees for the hanging ritual. Nanan later became a local religious leader (pastor). Since the ending of the martial law period, Nanan have always attended 228 memorials with a sense of penance. Nanan felt his family was responsible as collaborators of the incident, since his grandfather was so supportive of the KMT.
It’s not until his uncle, Lin Guoliang (林國樑), son of Walis Wumi, seeked help to gain access to the 228 national archive, did Nanan figure out that his grandfather was also a victim of the 228 incident. His family had just been protecting his generation by not telling them the truth. Walis Wumi was listed in the 228 Treason files for inciting savages to kill.
Lin Guoliang, also a pastor, saw his father dragged away from home on a vehicle marked with the KMT emblem when he was 5. His mother stopped him from chasing after the vehicle. Lin never saw his father again. It’s not until 3 year later that his family were informed of someone discovering a body in the wild, and they identified the remains by Walis Wumi’s golden tooth.
Lin Guoliang was never sure if his father was indeed killed by the government, but 60 some years later, the document proved his father was indeed a victim of Chiang Kaishek’s Qingxiang (清鄉) order. Lin’s mother subsequently refuse to talk about the incident, and Lin said losing his father left an irrevocable impact on his life. Lin founded Home for Aboriginal Youth and Children in part due to his own experience of losing his father.
In 2012, Walis Wumi was certified by the government as a 228 victim. Pastor Lin said going to receive that certificated felt like reuniting with his father. Pastor Lin Guoliang unfortunately passed away last August.
I also wrote about Ông Thiam-ting (王添灯)'s story here: forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 2&t=150610
As I was trying to clarify the political positions of Chiang Wei-sui (Tsiúnn Ūi-súi 蔣渭水) and what happened to his brother Chiang Wei-chuan (Tsiúnn Ūi-tshuan 蔣渭川) during 228, I came across an US department of state’s document about CWC.
Basically, on March 5, 1947, Chiang Wei-chuan used the name of his political organization to ask the US embassy to forward a message to Chiang Kai-shek, begging CKS not to send troops to Taiwan.
Interestingly, Chen Yi (陳儀), the KMT official in charge, asked CWC to make a radio broadcast on behalf of the KMT government on March 2. CWC could have simply have Chen Yi to deliver such message, but obviously CWC had little faith in Chen Yi’s resolve to deliver his message, so he chose to go through the Americans.
The document reads (I retyped it so might not be 100% correct):
[quote]
INCOMING TELEGRAM
RESTRICTED
Control 2292
Rec’d March 8, 1947
1:12 a.m.
FROM: Nanking
TO: Secretary of State
NO: 479, March 7, 4 p.m.
Following is 36 Mar 5 from Taipei.
"Following is translated text of letter handed to Consulate today by delegation of Political Reconstruction Promotion Assn of Taiwan, an established responsible organization, taking large part in mediation for settlement of present situation.
'March 5, 1947.
'The US Consulate Taipei Taiwan
'Sir:
'For the protection of the lives of the six million and more Formosans, we cordially request you to forward the enclosed letter to Ambassador Dr. Leighton Stuart for transmission to the National Govt of the Republic of China.
‘From (chopped) the Political Reconstruction Promotion Assn of Taiwan’
Following is translated text of enclosure : 'To His Excellency, President Chiang of the National Govt of the Republic of China through the kindness of Ambassador Dr. Leighton Stuart of the American Embassy in Nanking:
'Your Excellency:
'This civil commotion in Taiwan Province is purely in protest against corrupt officialdom and a demand for political reformation with no other purposes whatsoever. We entreat you
not to dispatch troops to Taiwan in order to avoid further provocation of the people. We also earnestly beg that you immediately send a high official to Taiwan to settle the incident for the sake of the nation.
‘From (chopped) the Political Reconstruction Promotion Assn of Taiwan Province. March 5’
“Consulate has agreed to forward this communication to American Embassy for its discretionary action”.
STUART
JMS:ABC
A Youth League of considerable potential significance came into being. Stressing …
as basic principles a desire to make Taiwan a model province of China and to …
hasten Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s program of National Reconstruction. The founder, …
former president of the Chamber of Commerce, Chiang We-chuan, said:
“We absolutely support the Central Government but will eradicate all currupt officials in this province. This is our aim which I hope every one of you fully grasp.” (Ching Wei Jih Pao, March 6, 1947)[/quote]
The Political Reconstruction Promotion Association of Taiwan is also known as Taiwan People’s Association (台灣民眾協會), founded by Chiang We-chuan. CWC wanted to revive Taiwan Culture Association (台灣文化協會) and Taiwan People’s Party (台灣民眾黨), both founded by his brother.
As mentioned in the previous discussion, Chen Yi sent troops to CWC’s house on March 10, 5 days after the above telegraph was sent. The troops announced they were on orders to kill CWC, and then failed to capture CWC, but killed his daughter and mortally wounded his son in the process. CWC went into hiding for a full year, before someone in the KMT vouched for him. Immediately after coming out of hiding, the KMT assigned a high political position to CWC, trying to prove to the Americans that the KMT is committed to political reform.
Many Taiwanese people were upset that CWC made that radio broadcast to urge for peace, while Chen Yi used the confusion to kill and defeat Taiwanese efforts. An ad was ran on a Taiwanese paper congratulating CWC’s new found position and was signed “All the deceased and victims of 228.” CWC promptly resigned his new position the very next day.
However, it seems like CWC was simply fooled by Chen Yi and used as a pawn. CWC really did have Taiwanese’ best interests at heart.
Some wicked brutality and needless loss of life by KMT as they took control of Taiwan.
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There’s a list out there of where the KMT massacred Taiwanese in and around Taipei.
Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel for example was a Japanese training ground, which became one of the places where KMT kept, tried, and executed political prisoners.
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During 228, KMT soldiers would force innocent pedestrians into train station pedestrian underpass, guard the exits with machine guns and throw in grenades to kill them.
There are at least 3 known stations where this happened. Jilong, Jiayi, and Kaohsiung. The tunnels were dripping blood weeks after the massacre.
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