Taiyuan Incident
Encyclopedia
Taiyuan Incident was an act of anti-government movement that involves political prisoner
s and prison guards of Taiyuan Prison, as well as some aboriginal youths sympathetic to their cause. The incident was classified by the government as a prison riot, while many Tangwai
elements considered it to be a failed uprising against the ruling Kuomintang
regime.
. They were able to convince some fifty Taiwanese
prison guards and a number of aboriginal youths to join their cause, and planned to seize the nearby army arsenal, radio station, and a fleet docked at Taitung
harbor. On February 8, the prisoners stealthily acquired firearms and were prepared for the uprising when they were caught in action by a sergeant of Waisheng background, who they bayoneted to prevent him from warning the others. However, the sergeant survived the attack and the entire prison was in lock-down. The prisoners could not unlock nor breach the gates of other blocks, and the commander of the guard company, who was collaborating with the prisoners, advised them to escape into the mountains.
Soon after the prisoners escaped, the prison was taken over by the infamous Taiwan Garrison Command
, with its deputy commander General Liu Yu-chang taking command personally. Airborne units were dispatched to secure the prison, and the entire guard company was arrested and interrogated. A forward command center was also established, and thousands of police officers, soldiers, and aboriginal youths were sent to locate and apprehend the prisoners. All prisoners were arrested by February 23.
Not long after the incident, all prisoners of Taiyuan Prison were transferred to the so-called Green Island Lodge on Green Island
.
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s and prison guards of Taiyuan Prison, as well as some aboriginal youths sympathetic to their cause. The incident was classified by the government as a prison riot, while many Tangwai
Tangwai
The Tangwai movement was a political movement in the Republic of China in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Although the Kuomintang had allowed contested elections for a small number of seats in Legislative Yuan, opposition parties were still forbidden...
elements considered it to be a failed uprising against the ruling Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
regime.
The Incident
In February 1970, a group of political prisoner of Taiyuan Prison secretly laid out a plan to takeover the prison and began a guerrilla campaign aimed at the realization of Taiwan independenceTaiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
. They were able to convince some fifty Taiwanese
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
prison guards and a number of aboriginal youths to join their cause, and planned to seize the nearby army arsenal, radio station, and a fleet docked at Taitung
Taitung City
Taitung City is the county seat of Taitung County, Taiwan. It lies on the southeast coast of Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean.The city is served by Taitung Airport. Taitung is a gateway to Green Island and Orchid Island, both of which are very popular among Taiwanese tourists.-History:Taitung...
harbor. On February 8, the prisoners stealthily acquired firearms and were prepared for the uprising when they were caught in action by a sergeant of Waisheng background, who they bayoneted to prevent him from warning the others. However, the sergeant survived the attack and the entire prison was in lock-down. The prisoners could not unlock nor breach the gates of other blocks, and the commander of the guard company, who was collaborating with the prisoners, advised them to escape into the mountains.
Soon after the prisoners escaped, the prison was taken over by the infamous Taiwan Garrison Command
Taiwan Garrison Command
The Taiwan Garrison Command was a secret police/state security body which existed under the Republic of China military on Taiwan. The agency was established at the end of World War II, and operated throughout the Cold War. It was disbanded on August 1, 1992....
, with its deputy commander General Liu Yu-chang taking command personally. Airborne units were dispatched to secure the prison, and the entire guard company was arrested and interrogated. A forward command center was also established, and thousands of police officers, soldiers, and aboriginal youths were sent to locate and apprehend the prisoners. All prisoners were arrested by February 23.
Aftermath
In all, five prisoners and more than twenty guards were sentenced to death, one prisoner claimed he was forced to participate and was sentenced to 15 and half years. A unspecified number of collaborators also received various sentences from 15 years to life. The authority believed that more were involved, but the prisoners claimed that no one else is involved in planning the uprising.Not long after the incident, all prisoners of Taiyuan Prison were transferred to the so-called Green Island Lodge on Green Island
Green Island, Taiwan
Green Island is a small volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, about off the eastern coast of Taiwan. In the 19th century it was known as Samasana Island and the Japanese called it Kasho-to . The island is 15.092 km² at high tide and 17.329 km² at low tide...
.