Hello everyone, welcome to Taiwan Bar
Today let’s talk about the 228 Incident that we all heard but unfamiliar with
Those who understand the incident a little might know that packs of cigarettes and Chen Yi were involved
but most of the youngsters probably only know that we get a day off
and if it’s on Friday, we get a three days holiday
Hooray!
After the endless Great East Asia War in the Pacific finally ceased in 1945
along with the Jewel Voice Broadcast and Japan’s unconditional surrender
Taiwan, which was under Japanese rule, burst into tears and suddenly became a defeated nation
but soon after Chiang Kai-shek took over Taiwan as a representative of the Allied Powers
Taiwan, which was take over by ROC government, burst into tears and suddenly became a victory nation
Looking forward to the homeland being taken over was like suffering from DID
but the took over was actually like happily purchasing a latest Mac
but turning it on, tragically find that it used Windows 95 system
all kinds of beauty turned into Goofy, the invincible Armed Forces turned into postmodern Yihetuan
Later on, the 228 Incident erupted and made Taiwanese restless at night
What on earth happened today 68 years ago?
Why is it so important that it became a memorial day
and how does it impact us today?
Ahem, let’s begin!
In 1947,
the 228 Incident shocked the world
The 28 facts you need to know before 28
that Taiwanese never told you about
The 228 Incident
This is not a story that can be told with just a few sentences
We need to discuss it from the perspective of politics, economics and culture
First, in terms of politics
After living through 50 years of Japanese rule
Taiwanese were looking forward to having self-governance
But Chen Yi, who took office as the Chief Administrator
controlled administration, legislation, judiciary and military powers all on his own
It was like another Governor-Gerneral came along
And working for the government was impossible for anyone
After kominca era, local Taiwanese could only speak Taiwanese
or Japanese, but unfamiliar with Beijing dialect
Therefore, Chen Yi took advantage of this fact and excluded Taiwanese
Saying that Taiwanese had no politic talent, didn't understand Mandarin
received Japanese enslaving education, and were not able to be hired
On the other hand, those who came from China could easily get fixed up with any office positions
Even a man that never seen a sugarcane could be the chairman of a sugar factory
Even a man who can’t read could teach in schools
All kinds of venal acts made the law-abiding Taiwanese felt
that the ROC government had crossed the line
Actually Taiwanese had seen all kinds of jobbery, robbery or military discipline corruption
It was like repeating the beginning of the Japanese rule all over again
To most citizens, if their meals were sufficiently satisfied everything was fine
But they weren’t!!
In terms of economics,
The ROC government not only enhanced the government monopoly left by Japanese rule
but also took over all the public and private companies left from the period
They were in charge of anything and everything
Under the situation of the government monopolizing the market
it was even harder for the locals to run a business
And when China finally finished fighting World War 2, soon after started the Chinese Civil War
therefore rice from Taiwan were requested to be sent to China for support
This made Taiwanese rice way cheaper when bought in Shanghai than in Taiwan
The price of rice raised 400 times more expensive after a year of the took over!
All these disasters trashed Taiwan’s economic
Exploitation of bureaucracy and the over issuance of Taiwanese dollars resulted in inflation
making the local people, neighborhoood to neighborhood, wishing that they could “restore” their stomachs rather than retrocession
Besides politics and economics
the difference among cultures worsened the conflicts between Islanders and Mainlanders
Taiwan was under Japanese rule for 50 years
the modernized life were new to many soldiers who just came from China
All kinds of wild acts done by the undisciplined army, such as riding away bikes that were unlocked, or “borrowing” things from houses with their doors opened
pissed the Taiwanese off again and again
As the Chinese troops who just finished a fierce fight with Japan
saw Taiwanese wearing kimono and acting similar to Japanese
It was hard for them not to relate the local Taiwanese to Japanese, who took their land and robbed their possession
With the messed up feeling, they called the Taiwanese “Japanese slave! Japanese slave!”
The cultural gaps widened with the defaming from both sides creating serious misunderstanding
On February 27th, 1947
A cigarette incident took place and became the last straw that broke the camel’s back
An officer beat up a cigarette vender who didn't even have time to run away
and accidentally shot a bystander in the crowd
On February 28th, the crowd gathered and demanded the government hand out the killer
Shockingly, the military police shot the crowd instead
This incident spread all over Taiwan through radio broadcast
and turned the small protest that originated in Taipei into an islandwide rebellion
Wait a sec!
There’s something to be clarified
Speaking of this 228 Incident
People seem to think that only the Islanders were the victims?
Ever since the shooting incident spread out
News of Mainlanders being beaten by the locals were often heard
Mainlanders in Chinese tunic suit or qipao
Beaten up!
Mainlanders who cannot speak Taiwanese or Japanese
Beaten up!
Mainlanders in cars... pulled out and
Beaten up!
Mainlanders in trucks... pulled out and
Beaten up!
Mainlanders’ factories and houses...destroyed and
Beaten up!
Suddenly, Taiwan was filled with beating everywhere
Many innocent Mainlanders became scapegoats…bah
However, the chaos were soon under control
No only were armed troops suppressing violently
but also the “228 Incident Settlement Committee” was formed
to try communicating in a peaceful way
Students also group public security service teams to maintain peace
calling on for local people to stop beating Mainlanders
However, what made the 228 Incident a tragedy
were not only of the sacrifices made before the society was back to order
but also because the army still rushed to Taiwan after order was retained
The Chinese army landed on March 8th
and began the armed suppression up to 2 months
The “228 Incident Settlement Committee” was announced illegal
Members of the committee were arrested one by one
It was like, while Taiwan Bar was broadcasting
and the choo-choo train was driven away, gone forever
Run for your life! and the choo-choo train was driven away, gone forever
Run for your life!
Comparing to secret executions of elites in the north
The fiercer armed rebellion in the south
was faced with extreme public execution in exchange
For example, artist Chen Cheng-po
was killed in front of Chiayi train station in the face of day
Taiwan Garrison Commander Ke Yuanfen cited
“Rather killed 99 innocent, then free one guilty”
Judging from this saying, it’s no wonder why "death note" were sold out
Troops continued resident checks and arresting suspicious citizens
causing local people restless at night, tossed and turned
Writers, artists, educationists, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, reporters, professors…etc
were all on the “driven-away-to-be” list
Therefore after the 228 Incident, there was a huge gap in Taiwanese social elites
After saying that much
I am sure you all know the 228 Incident a little better
This tragedy not only caused sacrifices
but also made Taiwanese indifferent to politics
Plus the seeds of conflicts and paradox were deeply planted in the hearts of different groups
All these conflicts still remain unsolved today
This historical scar was never healed as time passed
and almost made “Mainlanders” another name for prepetrator
The 228 Incident wasn’t settled immediately 68 years ago
and those who were involved passed away gradually
Us, being the decedents of both sides
Did we inherit the hatred or a lesson?
And did the 228 Incident that lasted all the way from the end of WW2
left trauma in the seemingly peaceful society?
If we have to consider whether people are mainlanders or islanders
before we do anything today
and worry whether our use of words or behaviors offend them
Then from a certain perspective
the 228 Incident is happening everyday
Victims of the 228 Incidents are growing day by day
O~K
After saying super super much
I am getting kinda thirsty
after finishing this glass of Gaoliang, see you same time next month
Cheers
Taiwan Bar is produced by DJ Hauer
Scripted and hosted by Buchi.
Hi Mom~~
Animated by jiajiach
History context provided by Thomas Xiao, the choo-choo train
Music produced by DJ Hauer
who is getting fatter and fatter...
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