Thursday, July 19, 2007

Taiwan Politics FDC

Taiwan FDC
Name: 20th Anniversary of the Lifting of Martial Law
Issue date: 2007 July 15th

On May 19, 1949, Chen Cheng, the Taiwan provincial governor and director general of Taiwan Garrison Command, declared martial law, which went into effect the next day. Martial law infringed upon human rights and impeded the development of constitutional democracy. In step with Taiwan’s economic and social development and growing understanding about human rights, and in order to promote democratic constitutional reform, on July 14, 1987, the late president Chiang Ching-kuo gave an order to end the state of martial law, which went into effect the next day. The formal lifting of martial law also represented a step forward in Taiwan’s evolution toward democracy. 2007 is the 20th anniversary of the lifting of martial law.

1 comment:

Michael Turton said...

Chiang Ching-kuo ended martial law because he had to, not because he had any interest in constitutional democracy. But the KMT had lost the support of the US, the opposition was growing stronger, and Aquino had just overthrown Marco in the Philippines. As soon as CCK lifted martial law, he had a new national security law passed that was martial law in all but name, and continued suppressing dissent, closing magazines, and keeping many dissidents in prison. But by then it was too late...

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