White Terror in Taiwan

In an article dated 20 July 2007 by Chen Sen (陈岑), two incidents were said to have characterized Taiwan under martial law.

1. In 1965, Wang Zhipeng (王志鹏), an illiterate fisherman from Matsu (马祖) was inspired by the wonderfully gorgeous weather and remarked aloud: "Today's weather is excellent. The direction of the wind, as well as the flow of the tide, is also good. And it is near enough to peddle to the mainland." Wang's remarks were overheard by the boat owner, who immediately alerted the police. Wang was sentenced to five years in jail for being a "counterrevolutionary."

2. Ke Qihua (柯旗化), an English teacher, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for being a "leftist." One key evidence of his "crime" was that he possessed a book titled The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Prosecutors claimed or assumed that Twain was related to Karl Marx. Why? Because Twain's name, when translated into Chinese is 马克吐温, which is remarkably similar to Marx's 马克思. Two similar Chinese characters in their names! How audacious!

Chen's article was titled 台湾戒严20年:从"白色恐怖"到"绿色恐怖" (Two Decades After Taiwan Lifts Its Martial Law: From "White Terror" to "Green Terror").