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Taiwan Garrison Command

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Taiwan Garrison Command
臺灣警備總司令部
ActiveSeptember 1945 – 1 August 1992
CountryTaiwan Republic of China
Branch Ministry of National Defense
TypeSecret police / state Security body
RoleAnti-government elements suppression
Part of Republic of China Armed Forces
Garrison/HQTaipei City
Nickname(s)Ching-tsung (警總)
Commanders
Notable
commanders		zh:彭孟緝, zh:陳守山, zh:周仲南
Insignia
Logo of Taiwan Garrison Command
Standard of the Commanding General of Taiwan Garrison
Flag of the units of Taiwan Garrison

The Taiwan Garrison Command (Chinese: 臺灣警備總司令部; pinyin: Táiwān Jǐngbèi Zǒngsīlìngbù) was a secret police and national security body under the Republic of China Armed Forces on Taiwan. The agency was established at the end of World War II, and operated throughout the Cold War. It was disbanded on 1 August 1992.[1]

Taiwan Garrison Command was responsible for suppressing activities viewed as promoting communism, democracy, and Taiwan independence.

Organization

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Taiwan Garrison Command was commanded by a three-star general officer and contained both officers or enlisted personnel from the Army, Marine Corps, Military Police, Political Warfare, or Intelligence Bureau; and members from the National Police Agency of the Ministry of the Interior, as well as civilian recruits from other colleges after special training. Because of security reasons, its military draftees were tagged and interviewed before the usual military recruit training.

Involvement

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Although officially a military division, Taiwan Garrison Command actually functioned as a secret police organization. It was actively involved in suppression of suspected Communist sympathizers or Taiwan Independence activists. Many pro-democracy activists were imprisoned as well. Famous cases include the arrest of Peng Ming-min, the Taiyuan Incident, and the Kaohsiung Incident. Also, it was rumored to have been involved in many politically motivated assassinations/murders, such as the murder of Lin Yi-hsiung's family and the murder of Dr. Chen Wen-chen.[2][3]

The reputation of Taiwan Garrison Command is so notorious that its name symbolizes the authoritarian rule to which Taiwan was once subjected.[4]

History

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Origins

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The Taiwan Provincial Garrison Command (台灣省警備總司令部) was established on 1 September 1945 at Chongqing, with Chen Yi as its first commanding general. On the same day, the Governor Office of Taiwan Province [zh] (1 September 1945 — 16 May 1947) was formed, and Chen Yi was appointed Governor of Taiwan.

This command's major responsibilities included the repatriation of all Japanese nationals in Taiwan, transfer of authority over Taiwan to the Republic of China government, and maintenance of law and order. The agency was renamed as the All-Taiwan Provincial Garrison Command (台灣全省警備總司令部) and relocated to Taipei in 1947. Peng Meng-chi) was appointed its new commanding general.

After the Retreat to Taiwan

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In the beginning of 1949, as the Republic of China government was retreating to Taiwan in the final stages of the Chinese Civil War, the Command was re-designated as "Taiwan Provincial Garrison Command" and headed by Chen Cheng, who concurrently held the office of Governor of Taiwan. On 20 May 1949, Chen Cheng, in his capacity as commanding general for the province and its military governor, declared martial law in Taiwan.[5] Immediately, the Taiwan Provincial Garrison Command was ordered to enforce Martial Law within Taiwan, excluding the areas Kinmen and Matsu of Fujian Province, which had been under Martial Law since 10 December 1948.

On 15 August 1949, it was further split into Southeast Military Governor Office (zh:東南軍政長官公署; 1949-08-15—1950-03-16) and Taiwan Provincial Security Command (台灣省保安司令部), with Peng Meng-chi appointed as commanding general. The Southeast Military Governor Office, headed by Chen Cheng, was responsible for the defense of four provinces: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Taiwan; and was directly responsible for the systematic killing of thousands of Taiwanese social elites, as part of what became known as the February 28 incident.

In 1958, the Republic of China government underwent a series of restructuring, and Taiwan Provincial Security Command was merged with Taiwan Provincial Civil Defense Command (台灣省民防司令部), Taiwan Defense Command (台灣防衛總司令部), and Taipei Garrison Command (台北衛戌總司令部), becoming the Taiwan Garrison Command under the command of Huang Chen-chiu, the commander of the defunct Taipei Garrison Command.

The Taiwan Garrison Command was involved in the 1980 murder of lawyer and opposition politician Lin I-hsiung and his family.[6]

Disbanding

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Taiwan Garrison Command continued to enforce Martial Law until 14 July 1987, the lift of Martial Law over Taipei City, Kaohsiung City, and Taiwan Province by a presidential order from Chiang Ching-kuo.[7] On 30 April 1991, President Lee Teng-hui declared the termination of the Period of Communist Rebellion and Taiwan Garrison Command again lost its other lawful justification.

This military organization was transformed and restructured into the "Coast Guard Command and Military Reserve District Command" on 1 August 1992.[1][2] The move effectively disbanded the Taiwan Garrison Command, under quiet orders from then President Lee Teng-hui:

  • Coastal patrol duties were assumed by the Coastal Guard Command; and were later passed to the newly reformed Coast Guard Administration.
  • Subordinate units for military reserve mobilization were regrouped into Military Reserve District Command, and later, the Reserve Command [zh].
  • Functions for imprisoning political and dissents activists and re-educating gangsters without trial were terminated. All prison facilities were transferred to either the Military Police Command, or to the Culture Establishment Commission for memorial purposes.[11][12]
  • The responsibility for censoring and confiscating questionable publications or newspapers[15] went to the Government Information Office; such functions were later terminated after the abolishment of "the Law of Publications."[16][17]

Transitional justice

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The transitional justice process began shortly after the Taiwan Garrison Command was disbanded.[7] The Transitional Justice Commission is charged with overseeing the process and as of 2019 was still in operation.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b 許紹軒 (17 May 2008). 小檔案／警總 戒嚴時代「東廠」 (in Chinese). Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  2. ^ a b 邱燕玲 (21 April 2008). "仍有政治檔案 至今未尋獲" (in Chinese). Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  3. ^ Shelley Shan (4 July 2022). "Archives of Chen murder 'concealed without merit'". Taipei Times. p. 2. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  4. ^ 許紹軒 (17 May 2008). "扁視察會餐 國防部請媒體吃「警總」便當" (in Chinese). Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  5. ^ 李心怡 (26 June 2008). "戒嚴令根本無效 台灣人被裝肖仔" (in Chinese). New Taiwan News Weekly. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  6. ^ Pan, Jason. "NSB implicated in 1980 Kaohsiung family murders". taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  7. ^ a b HARRISON, MARK. "The end of martial law: An important anniversary for Taiwan". www.lowyinstitute.org. The Lowry Institute. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  8. ^ 科學工業園區電腦媒體進出口登記查驗作業要點. 科學工業園區管理局 (in Chinese). 1983. Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  9. ^ 宋朝欽 (8 June 2008). "警調監聽手機 沒人管" (in Chinese). 中國時報. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  10. ^ 呂昭隆 (8 June 2008). "解嚴後 情治監聽 姚祖德控管18年" (in Chinese). China Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  11. ^ 羅添斌 (24 May 2008). "警總單位 已移交或改制" (in Chinese). Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  12. ^ 邱紹雯 (24 May 2008). "坪林招徠遊客／前警總職訓中心 擬改建五星監獄飯店" (in Chinese). Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  13. ^ "Garrison Military Police". Reserve Military Police in TAIWAN. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  14. ^ 戍衛憲兵. 導覽資料庫 (in Chinese). 中華民國後備憲兵論壇. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  15. ^ 曾韋禎 (9 March 2008). "我是抓耙仔--一名台大中文系女學生之「追究自己」" (in Chinese). Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  16. ^ 薛理桂 (February 1999). 出版法廢止對我國圖書資料蒐集與保存之衝擊與因應. 國家圖書館館刊 (in Chinese). 國家圖書館. Retrieved 13 June 2008.[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ zh:中華民國行政院新聞局 [in Chinese]. 出版法廢止後，媒體將無所限制，是否會影響國家安全、社會安寧？. 出版業務Q&A (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  18. ^ Pan, Jason (8 July 2019). "Tsai vows to open White Terror files". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
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