Seventy-one years ago, on February 28, protests erupted across the island of Taiwan, sparked by the violent assault of an elderly Taiwanese woman by government agents attempting to arrest her for illegally selling cigarettes. The anti-government protests, which resulted in deaths on both sides, were met with a violent crackdown and the implementation of Martial Law by the government. Over the next 40 years, a period known as the “White Terror”, it is estimated that more than 10,000 civilians, including many Taiwanese leaders from the Japanese colonial period, were named enemies of the state for speaking out against corruption and repression, and summarily executed by the government without due process. Although Martial Law was lifted in 1987, this dark period of modern Taiwanese history remained taboo until 1995, when it was finally publicly acknowledged by President Lee Teng-Hui.

February 28 is now a designated national holiday, Peace Memorial Day, and has been recognized by all of Taiwan’s presidents since the incident was first publicly acknowledged in 1995. It serves as both a memorial to those killed under the “White Terror” and as a reminder of the integral role that peaceful civilian protest plays in the democratic process.  

TACL commemorates this day with our friends and family on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, remembering the victims of this tragedy and recognizing the resilience of a country who in the midst of this dark history emerged to become a free and democratic nation. If you’re curious to learn more, check out articles from the New York Times or NBC, and we encourage you to continue exploring Taiwan’s history of democracy.

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