Postwar Elections and Democratic Movement at Kaohsiung District (1945-1998)

• Main Authors: Jian-I Chu, 朱建益
• Other Authors: Pao-tsun Tai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/r33axs

碩士 === 東吳大學 === 歷史學系 === 96 === Taiwan’s achievements of democratic development have been initiated by the predecessors, who aroused people gradually by constant opposition and resistance on speech and on action, and have been reached by progressive breakthrough from locality, by mutual connection and cooperation finally. During the period under the Japanese reign, although Kaohsiung district was an emerging area, many active figures of democratic movement appeared. After the War, these figures that strode across two epochs still keep on pushing the democratic movement forward with the way of throwing themselves into elections after experiencing the 228 Incident. They participated in all kinds of local elections, engaged in democratic education during elections, continued to compete with KMT local party branch and its affiliated local sects, and thus formed a towering landmark in Taiwan’s history of democratic movement in early stages. This kind of democratic movement deepened continuously and stably at Kaohsiung district. From 1970s, the figures of democratic movement in entire Taiwan started to combine and converge. Moreover, with the type of a group, the non-party figures published magazines to advocate their philosophy, and put into public official elections to consolidate the non-party influence. Eventually, the non-party power forced its way to breakthrough party ban (ban on political parties and their activities), and established the first opposition party of Taiwan after the War—DPP (Democratic Progressive Party). Since then, the democratic movement at Kaohsiung district has become more flourishing, and Kaohsiung district has been an important source of support of the opposition party. With the angle of history of democratic movement, the scope of Kaohsiung district, and within the time from after the War to the 1990s of comprehensive democratization, the dissertation discussed in the process of democratic movement the efforts and achievements of figures of democratic movement at Kaohsiung district, the inheritance of the movement, as well as the contribution and significance of Kaohsiung district democratic movement in Taiwan’s history of democratic movement.