Taiwan Church News
3389 Edition
February 6 – 12, 2017
Church Ministry
Taiyuan Incident Masqueraded As Siro Heroes To Wake Up Taiwanese Souls
Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong
In order to let more people to understand the first ever event of Taiwanese Independence movement, Taiyuan incident, a historical drama entitled as «Siro Heroes — Taiyuan Incident» will be launched at National Taiwan Arts Education Center on February 25 and 26. Siro Heroes is directed by Ms Chang Ming-tsuen and scripted by a group of college graduated students majored in theatrical arts from National Taiwan University and Taipei National University of The Art.
In between 1960 and 1970, there were roughly two kinds of political prisoners jailed in the Taiyuan Prison at Taitung county: prisoners inclined to uphold Taiwan independence were called Siro (meaning “white” in the Japanese); prisoners inclined to unite with China were called Aka (meaning “red” in the Japanese).
Since 1968, some radical Siro prisoners had started to plan a guerrilla uprising, intending to take over the firearms, occupy the radio station and broadcast a Taiwan Independence Statement at Taiyuan Prison. On 8 February 1970, six Siro political prisoners, including Cheng Chin-ho, Chen Liang, Jian Tien-tsen, Cheng Zeng-chen, Hsei Tong-rong and Jiang Bing-hsing, launched their revolutionary campaign as planed previously but failed unfortunately. Five Siro heroes were sentenced to death and executed on 30 May 1970. The only survivor was Hsei Tong-rong and he now lives in Lin-Koh District of New Taipei City.
According to Taiwan Nationalist Alliance, one of the organizers of this historical drama, the performance of this drama is an unprecedented trial to put public such a sensitive uprising for Taiwan independence. The only purpose of performing «Siro Heroes — Taiyuan Incident» is to wake up Taiwan society to learn and treasure the legacies of this historical event, how our forebear fathers protect our beautiful home land and fight against foreign regime in bare hands, as this is the place in which our Taiwanese souls reside, says Taiwan Nationalist Alliance.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
