Taiwan Church News
3375 Edition
October 31 – November 6, 2016
Headline News
Taiwan Retrocession Day, October 25, A Day Of Celebration Or A Day Of Catastrophe?
Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong
After Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on 2 September 1945, the Japanese army in Taiwan formerly surrendered to Mr Chen Yi, the representative of the Allies, at Taipei City Hall on 25 October 1945. Hence, a crooked hstory of Taiwan’s retrocession to the R.O.C. was started, and October 25 was named by KMT regime as Taiwan Retrocession Day.
On 25 October 2016, in order to inform Taiwan public a people’s version of the Taiwan Retrocession Day based on true historical facts of modern Taiwan history, a group of youth and the Island Stage drama society performed a street drama at Taipei City Hall. Standing for the spirit of building “a new and independent country” performed within the street drama, PCT’s Church and Society Committee also lent two big tents to the organizer of this event.
The drama’s plots described how KMT seized the properties of the Taiwanese people by military forces and systematic corruptions, appropriated the companies of public utilities, and annexed the lands of the people; how KMT stole the money and treasures from the government; how billions of US aids were plundered by the Chiang Kai-sheik regime and his families etc.
Mr Yao Zhe-shiang, organizer of this street drama, stressed the purpose of this event is to help Taiwan public establish a historical vision of Taiwan subjectivity through a free and flexible dimension of liberal arts – drama. And this year’s performance was just a beginning, Yao said, “if Taiwan Retrocession Day could not be abolished, we will come back here next year!”.
In the evening on October 25 dozens of youth, holding banners in slogans, chanting annihilation of ROC, establishing Taiwan Republic, and opposing Taiwan Retrocession Day as a commemorative day in Taiwan, showed up in front of the Presidential Building Office. In order to let the public know their messages in the banners, these young people also waved the flags of Taiwan independence and demonstrated the broken ROC flags on the floor.
Mr Lee Chia-yu, leader of this group of youth, warned Tsai Ing-wen administration that they will come back next year if Taiwan Retrocession Day is still stipulated as a national commemorative day!”. Later, these youth brought those torn down ROC flags and marched around the Presidential Office Building three times. Certainly, many military policemen followed and watched them closely to prevent a security accident.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
Protesting the so-called “Taiwan Retrocession Day”, the Island Stage and several youth performed a street drama at Taipei City Hall on 25 October 2016.
Dozens of youth, holding banners in slogans, chanting annihilation of ROC, establishing Taiwan Republic, and opposing Taiwan Retrocession Day as a commemorative day in Taiwan, showed up in front of the Presidential Building Office in the evening on 25 October 2016.
Photos by Chiu Kuo-rong
