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{{Short description|1979 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Taiwan}}

[[File:Kaohsiung Incident.jpg|thumb|400px|The Kaohsiung Eight arrested. From left to right: [[Chang Chun-hung]], [[Huang Hsin-chieh]], [[Chen Chu]], [[Yao Chia-wen]], [[Shih Ming-teh]], [[Annette Lu]], {{Interlanguage link multi|Lin Hung-hsuan|zh|3=林弘宣}}.]]

{{Chinese|c=高雄事件|p=Gāoxióng shìjiàn|poj=Ko-hiông Sū-kiāⁿ|altname=Formosa Incident|t2=美麗島事件|s2=美丽岛事件|p2=Měilìdǎo shìjiàn|poj2=Bí-lē-tó Sū-kiāⁿ}}

The '''Kaohsiung Incident''', also known as the '''Formosa Incident''', the '''Meilidao Incident''', or the '''''Formosa Magazine'' incident''',<ref name="litculturechang">{{cite book |last1=Chang |first1=Sung-sheng Yvonne |title=Literary Culture in Taiwan: Martial Law to Market Law |date=2004 |publisher=Columbia Univ. Press |location=New York|isbn=9780231132343 }}{{page number|date=December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Copper">{{cite book |last=Copper|first=John |year=2003 |title=Taiwan: Nation-State or Province? |place=Boulder, Colo. |publisher=Westview |isbn=9780813339559 }}{{page number|date=December 2021}}tang</ref> was a crackdown on pro-[[democracy]] [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]] that occurred in [[Kaohsiung]], [[Taiwan]], on 10 December 1979 during [[Martial law in Taiwan|Taiwan's martial law period]].

The incident occurred when ''[[Formosa Magazine]]'', headed by released political prisoner [[Shih Ming-teh]] and veteran opposition [[Legislative Yuan|legislator]] [[Huang Hsin-chieh]], and other opposition politicians held a demonstration commemorating [[Human Rights Day]] to promote and demand [[democracy]] in Taiwan.<ref name="DPP book">{{cite news
 | title=DPP releases book commemorating the Kaohsiung Incident
 | newspaper=Taipei Times
 | publisher=[[Central News Agency (Taiwan)|Central News Agency]]
 | publication-place=Taipei
 | date=8 Dec 2004
 | page=4
 | url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/12/08/2003214224
 | access-date=10 October 2008
 | archive-date=9 June 2020
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609055934/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/12/08/2003214224
 | url-status=live
 }}</ref> At that time, the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] was a [[one-party state]] under the [[Kuomintang]], called ''[[Dang Guo]]'', and the government used this protest as an excuse to arrest the main leaders of the political opposition. 
 
The Kaohsiung Incident is widely regarded as a seminal event in the [[History of Taiwan since 1945|post-war history of Taiwan]] and the watershed of the Taiwan democratization movements.<ref name="Tang">{{cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Chih-Chieh |title=勢不可免的衝突：從結構／過程的辯證看美麗島事件之發生 |trans-title=An Unavoidable Conflict: An Explanation of the Kaohsiung Incident in Terms of the Dialectic of Structure and Process |location=Taipei  |url=http://www.ios.sinica.edu.tw/ios/people/personal/ctang/J_C_09.pdf   |access-date= |journal=台灣社會學 (Taiwanese Sociology)  |issue=13 |pages=71–128 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224024244/http://www.ios.sinica.edu.tw/ios/people/personal/ctang/J_C_09.pdf |archive-date=2018-12-24  |language=zh-tw |date=June 2007 |doi= }}</ref> The event galvanized the Taiwanese community into political actions and is regarded as one of the events that eventually led to democracy in Taiwan.

== Background ==
{{See also|Martial law in Taiwan|Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan|Chinese Civil War}}
From 1949 until the 1990s, Taiwan was effectively a [[Dang Guo|one-party state]] under the rule of the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT). During the late 1970s many opponents of the KMT seeking democracy gradually organized themselves as an opposition camp, following the establishment of the magazine ''Taiwan Political Review'' by [[Kang Ning-hsiang]] in 1975. These opponents called themselves "[[Tangwai]]", literally meaning "outside the party".<ref name="Feng">{{cite journal |last1=Feng |first1=Chien-san |title=異議媒體的停滯與流變之初探：從政論雜誌到地下電台 |url=http://www3.nccu.edu.tw/~jsfeng/8.doc |access-date= |journal=台灣社會研究季刊 (Taiwan: A Radical Quarterly in Social Studies)  |trans-title=The Dissident Media in Post-War Taiwan: From Political Magazine to "Underground Radio" |issue=20 |date=1 August 1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224024111/http://www3.nccu.edu.tw/~jsfeng/8.doc |archive-date=2018-12-24 |pages=177–234| language=zh-TW |doi=10.29816/TARQSS.199508.0006 |issn=1021-9528  |quote=}}</ref> In its fifth edition on 27 December 1976 it published an article entitled "Two States of Mind – An Evening Discussion with Fou Cong and Professor Liou" which resulted in the revocation of the publisher's license. In the [[:zh:1977年中华民国县市长选举|1977 election]], Tangwai expanded support significantly and won more seats than ever before. The outcome of the election demonstrated the potential of Tangwai as a quasi-opposition party to the ruling KMT and laid the ground for the ensuing mass movement.<ref name="Tang" />

On 16 December 1978, U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] announced that the U.S. would sever its official [[Taiwan–United States relations|relationship with the Republic of China]] as of 1 January 1979. It was the most serious challenge to the Taiwan government since it [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758|lost its seat]] at the United Nations to the [[People's Republic of China]] in 1971.<ref name="Chen">{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Fupian |title=美麗島大逮捕"前後國內輿論情勢之發展―以主流平面媒體爲主的分析 |journal=臺灣史研究 (Taiwan Historical Research) |date=2007 |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=191–230 |url=http://www.airiti.com/CEPS/ec_en/ecjnlarticleView.aspx?jnlcattype=0&jnlptype=0&jnltype=0&jnliid=4756&issueiid=85636&atliid=1700699 |trans-title=The development of public opinion during "The Formosa Arrest"—With an Analysis of the Main-stream {{sic}} Print Media |issn=1024-2805 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514223047/http://www.airiti.com/CEPS/ec_en/ecjnlarticleView.aspx?jnlcattype=0&jnlptype=0&jnltype=0&jnliid=4756&issueiid=85636&atliid=1700699 |archive-date=2014-05-14 |id=|via=CEPS/文章書目}}</ref> President [[Chiang Ching-kuo]] immediately postponed all elections without a definite deadline for its restoration. Tangwai, which had won steadily expanding support, was strongly frustrated and disappointed about Chiang's decision since it suspended the only legitimate method they could use to express their opinions.<ref name="Tang"/><ref name="Chen"/>

Tangwai leader [[Huang Hsin-chieh]] and his comrades soon petitioned the KMT government for the restoration of elections, but were rebuffed. On 21 January 1979, the KMT arrested [[Yu Teng-fa]], another Tangwai leader, and his son with the intentional false accusation of propagandising for the [[Chinese Communist Party]].<ref name="Tang"/> Tangwai regarded the arrest of Yu as a signal of complete suppression and decided to make a last-ditch effort by holding radical demonstrations on the street,<ref name="Tang"/> resulting in the escalating conflict between the conservative KMT and Tangwai.<ref name="Cheng">{{cite journal |last1=Cheng |first1=Tun-jen |title=Democratizing the Quasi-Leninist Regime in Taiwan |journal=World Politics |date=July 1989 |volume=41 |issue=4 |pages=471–499 |doi=10.2307/2010527 |jstor=2010527 |s2cid=153837711 |url=http://www.unc.edu/~wangc/Cheng.pdf |access-date= |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140514234307/http://www.unc.edu/~wangc/Cheng.pdf |archive-date= 2014-05-14 |language= |issn=0043-8871 |id=}}</ref> On 20 April, the government impeached Magistrate [[Hsu Hsin-liang]] for participating the historical first democratic rally in the Martial law period.<ref name="RDEC">{{Cite web|title=美麗島事件檔案導引|trans-title=Prologue of the Formosa Incident Archive|url=https://www.archives.gov.tw/UserFiles/美麗島事件檔案展導引(1).pdf|author=[[Research, Development and Evaluation Commission]]|date=28 February 2003|access-date=4 February 2022|publisher=[[Executive Yuan]]|language=zh-tw|location=Taipei|archive-date=27 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227100307/https://www.archives.gov.tw/UserFiles/%E7%BE%8E%E9%BA%97%E5%B3%B6%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6%E6%AA%94%E6%A1%88%E5%B1%95%E5%B0%8E%E5%BC%95(1).pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 1979, ''[[Formosa Magazine]]'' was established by [[Huang Hsin-chieh]] with Hsu as the director aiming at consolidating Tangwai membership.<ref name="RDEC"/> On 16 August 1979, the first edition was published under the title "Joint Promotion of the New Generation's Political Movements".<ref name="GIO HoT 8">{{Cite book | last=Huang | first=Fu-san|authorlink=Huang Fu-san |chapter=Chapter 8: The First Democracy in the Chinese World: The Kaohsiung Incident and Taiwan's "Political Miracle" | title=A Brief History of Taiwan – A Sparrow Transformed into a Phoenix | publisher=[[Government Information Office]] | publication-place=Taipei | publication-date=2005 | url=http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/history/tw09.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001030948/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/history/tw09.html |archive-date=2009-10-01}}</ref> The initial issue sold out all of its 25,000 copies, the second and third issues sold almost 100,000 copies, and the fourth issue sold more than 110,000. Nonetheless, Hsu's magistracy position was revoked by the government in 29 June, and he went exile to U.S. on 30 September.<ref name="RDEC"/> On 17 October 1979, a meeting of 22 [[Kuomintang]] security agencies adopted a proposal to ban the magazine after a protest from the [[South Korea]]n Embassy over an article in the second issue titled "Unveil the Myth of the Korean Economic Miracle" (揭發韓國經濟奇蹟的神話).<ref name="GIO HoT 8"/> In November and early December, the southern command of [[Taiwan Garrison Command]] abetted 6 cases of local mafia members smashing the offices of Formosa Magazine and Huang's residence in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and [[Pingtung City|Pingtung]] with one employee injured by axe, allegedly by [[Lieutenant General]] Chang Chih-hsiu ({{zh|t=常持琇中將}}).<ref name="Academia Historica">{{Cite web|title=新史料揭露：南警備司令透過黑道搗毀美麗島雜誌社與黃信介家|trans-title=New historical data reveals that Southern Command of TGC destroyed Formosa Magazine offices and HuangHsin-Chieh's house through mafia acts|url=https://today.line.me/tw/v2/article/XYXGvBw|last=Lin|first=Chao-yi|date=3 February 2022|access-date=4 February 2022|publisher=Newtalk News|language=zh-TW|location=Taipei|archive-date=4 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204232321/https://today.line.me/tw/v2/article/XYXGvBw|url-status=live}}</ref> Tangwai held many public gatherings and protests, without official permission. The KMT response was limited, such as sending police in riot gear but not suppressing the gatherings. This low-level reaction gave Tangwai confidence in its own power and it stuck to the radical approach.<ref name="Cheng"/>

== Gushan Incident ==
The magazine's Kaohsiung service center applied for a permit to hold a human rights forum on 10 December 1979 at an indoor stadium, and after that was denied it applied for a permit to hold the event at the [[Central Park (Kaohsiung)|Rotary Park]] (扶輪公園), which was also denied. In response, it was decided to hold the demonstration at the Kaohsiung headquarters.<ref name="GIO HoT 8"/>

On 9 December 1979, the Kaohsiung branch of ''Formosa Magazine'' dispatched two campaign wagons to broadcast the "Human Rights Forum". The wagons were held up by police and two volunteers were arrested and beaten, which roused Tangwai and its supporters to protest at the [[Gushan District|Gushan]] branch of Public Security Bureau. This incident caused many outraged Tangwai members and supporters who had not planned to attend the forum the next day to do so.<ref name="Tang"/><ref name="New Taiwan">{{cite book |author=New Taiwan Foundation |script-title=zh:暴力與詩歌 : 高雄事件與美麗島大審 |language=zh |trans-title=Violence and Poetry-Kaohsiung Incident and Formosa Trial |year=1999|publisher=China Times Publishing |isbn=9571330329}}{{page number|date=December 2021}}</ref>

The event on 10 December 1979 started out as the first major [[Human Rights Day]] celebration on the island. Until that time the authorities had never allowed any public expression of discontent.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Between 2:00 and 3:00&nbsp;p.m. that afternoon (four hours before the demonstration commemorating Human Rights Day started, and before any irregularities had taken place), the military police, the army, and the police had already taken up positions when the demonstrators arrived.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

When the event took place during the evening, the military police marched forward and closed in on the demonstrators, then they retreated again to their original position. This was repeated two or more times. The battalion commander explained that the purpose of this exercise was to cause panic and fear in the crowd and also to provoke anger and confusion.  Political demonstrators clashed with troops sent by the KMT.<ref name="litculturechang"/>

== Arrests and imprisonment ==
The KMT authorities used the incident as an excuse to arrest virtually all well-known opposition leaders. They were held incommunicado for some two months, during which reports of severe ill-treatment filtered out of the prisons.  The arrested groups were subsequently tried in three separate groups.{{cn|date=December 2021}}

=== Lin family massacre ===
In February 1980, [[Lin Yi-hsiung]], a leader of the democratic movement, was in detention and beaten severely by KMT police. His wife, [[Fang Su-min]], saw him in prison and contacted the [[Amnesty International]] [[Osaka]] office. The next day, Lin's mother and twin 7-year-old daughters were stabbed to death in his home, while his oldest daughter was badly wounded. The authorities claimed to know nothing about it, even though his house was under 24-hour police surveillance.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=169}}

=== Major groups ===
In March–April 1980, the eight most prominent leaders "The Kaohsiung Eight" were tried in military court and were sentenced to terms ranging from 12 years to life imprisonment. The trial was also publicized.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=168}}

In April–May 1980, another group of 33 people, "The Kaohsiung 33", who had taken part in the Human Rights Day gathering were tried in civil court and sentenced to terms ranging from two to six years.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=169}}

===Others===
A third group of 10 people were associated with the [[Presbyterian Church]] for hiding [[Shih Ming-teh]], who feared torture and immediate execution. Most prominent among this group was [[Kao Chun-ming]], the general-secretary of the Presbyterian Church. Kao was sentenced to seven years imprisonment. The others received lesser sentences.  Shih was given a life sentence, and his wife, [[Linda Arrigo|Linda Gail Arrigo]], a [[United States citizen]], was deported.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=169}}

Fifteen of Taiwan's most important political leaders, writers and intellectuals, all associated with the ''Formosa Magazine'', were arrested.<ref name="litculturechang"/>  Fifteen publications were closed down, including ''Meilidao'' ''(Formosa Magazine)''.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=169}}  After the event, newspapers reported that the ensuing confrontations led to civilian and police injuries.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

After the incident, four [[Tangwai]] participants were arrested and imprisoned on trumped-up charges of [[sedition]], including [[Huang Hsin-chieh]], [[Yao Chia-wen]], [[Chang Chun-hung]] and [[Lin Hung-hsuan]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Taiwanese opposition leaders on hunger strike |journal=Taiwan Communiqué |date=April 1984 |issue=15 |pages=1–2 |url=http://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/tc15-int.pdf |issn=1027-3999 |access-date=2007-10-26 |archive-date=2007-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830132301/http://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/tc15-int.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

== News reports ==
Mainstream media had long been controlled by the authoritarian KMT government. The contemporary domestic newspapers were biased about the Kaohsiung Incident and framed it as a violent mass event. ''[[China Times]]'', ''[[United Daily News]]'', and KMT-owned ''Central District News'' also incorrectly stated that the Tangwai protesters were motivated by a pro-independence mindset. It also stated that they were working to subvert the Republic of China in cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party.<ref name="Weng">Weng, Shieu-chi and Chen, Huei-min (2000). Social Structure, Linguistic Mechanisms and Construction of Identity: How Mass Media "Wove" the Kao-hsion Incident and Constructed Ethnic and National Identities of People in Taiwan. ''Communication Research Monographs'', 4, 1–162. [http://readopac3.ncl.edu.tw/nclJournal/search/detail.jsp?sysId=0004658809&dtdId=000040&search_type=detail&la=ch "社會結構、語言機制與認同建構--大眾媒介如何「編織」美麗島事件並構塑民眾的族群與國家認同"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211062513/http://readopac3.ncl.edu.tw/nclJournal/search/detail.jsp?sysId=0004658809&dtdId=000040&search_type=detail&la=ch |date=2015-12-11 }}</ref> Such news reports caused negative public opinion. This negative public opinion was used by the media as further proof to attack and condemn the Tangwai.<ref name="Chen"/>

The incident caused international attention around the world, which pressed the KMT government to hold an open trial on the accused.<ref name="New Taiwan"/> Even though there were pressures from the U.S. and reports from the international media such as ''[[New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Ying|first=Diane|title=Taiwan Is Planning Open Trials Soon for Dissidents|newspaper=New York Times|date=January 24, 1980}}</ref> the mainstream Taiwanese media refuted what the larger international media reported as biased rumors regarding the incident.<ref>Pang, Ming-Fui (2001). The Editorials of the United Daily News toward the Magnificent Political Events during the Postwar Taiwan. ''The Journal of History'', 18, 277–308. [http://nccuir.lib.nccu.edu.tw/handle/140.119/16854 “《聯合報》社論對台灣重大政治事件的立場與觀點(1950–1995)”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217052536/http://nccuir.lib.nccu.edu.tw/handle/140.119/16854 |date=2015-02-17 }}</ref>

== Legacy ==
The time period experienced a rising middle class, and a more open-minded [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) ruling regime that allowed some fostering of political opposition.<ref name="litculturechang"/> Taiwanese citizens were becoming weary of [[waishengren|mainlander]] authority, and were eager for a more democratic society.  The event turned into a series of political protests that led to public trials and arrests.  It is considered a turning point for pro-democracy groups/anti-KMT political opposition.<ref name="litculturechang"/>

After the Kaohsiung incident, a decade of political struggle continued between the mainlander-controlled KMT and the other political parties.<ref name="litculturechang"/>  The importance of the incident is that both Taiwanese people in Taiwan as well as the overseas Taiwanese community were galvanized into political actions. The movement which grew out of the incident formed the basis for the present-day governing [[Democratic Progressive Party]].<ref name="litculturechang"/>  While political opposition at the time was not yet calling for [[Taiwanese independence]], the event called for self-determination.{{sfn|Roy|2003|pp=168-169}}  An overseas support network of Taiwanese organizations was also formed in [[North America]] and [[Europe]].  Virtually all leading members of the present-day democratic government had a role in the event, either as defendants or as defense lawyers. By 2000, DPP successfully ended KMT rule. After losing the 2008 and 2012 presidential and legislative elections to the KMT, the DPP successfully contested and won both elections in 2016.

[[Chen Shui-bian]], who was later elected to two terms as [[ROC president]], was one of the defence lawyers, while his running mate, [[Annette Lu]], was one of the "Kaohsiung Eight". She was sentenced to 12 years, of which she served five and a half.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

==See also==
*[[White Terror (Taiwan)]]
*[[Martial law in Taiwan]]
*[[February 28 Incident]]
*[[Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park]]
*[[2021 arrests of Hong Kong pro-democracy primaries participants]]

==References==
{{page numbers needed|date=December 2021}}
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book|last=Roy|first=Denny|title=Taiwan: A Political History|year=2003|location=Ithaca, NY|publisher=Cornell University Press|isbn=0-8014-4070-X}}

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[[Category:Protests in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Political history of Taiwan]]
[[Category:White Terror (Taiwan)]]
[[Category:Taiwanese democracy movements]]
[[Category:1979 in Taiwan]]