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"Taiwan as an Internal Colony and the 228 Incident in Taiwan"

LEE Peijung

last update: 20151225


Taiwan as an Internal Colony and the 228 Incident in Taiwan

LEE Peijung
Abstract:
In October 1945, Taiwan was placed under the administrative control of the Republic of China (ROC), and on February 28, 1947, there occurred a popular uprising of Taiwanese people, known as the "228 Incident," sparked by the malfeasance and brutality of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang). Under the Kuomintang's autocratic rule, this incident could only be mentioned privately and secretly between the citizens, but nowadays it has been allowed to be discussed publicly from different points of view. Acknowledging this historical background, this paper interprets the 228 Incident from the perspective of internal colonization within Taiwan, basing the analysis on the center-to-periphery and dominant-subordinate dynamics of colonial relationships. Moreover, the relation between the 228 Incident (as a conflict between Japanese culture and Chinese culture) and the demands of Taiwanese nationalism, decolonization, or the 'de-Chiang' movement is discussed.

In conclusion, this paper examines the governing technique of colonial rule by Japan and internal colonization by the Kuomintang by analyzing the historical background of the 228 Incident and the Sinicization of the Kuomintang after taking over Taiwan; it also recognizes the importance of the 228 Incident and ascribes the incident to the continuation of the old colonial system.


Keywords: 228 Incident, internal colonization, continuation of colonial regime, Taiwanese nationalism, decolonization and 'de-Chiang' movement
REV: 20151225
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