Talking Taiwan: Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: The Kaohsiung Incident – The Watershed Moment That Led to Taiwan’s Democratization
This is the second part of our interview with Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo, Ai Linda (艾琳達). Earlier this year when we were in Taiwan in January for the presidential election, we sat down to interview Linda about the era and events that precipitated the Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, which is widely considered the watershed moment in history that led to Taiwan’s democratization. The Kaohsiung Incident happened in December of 1979.
LISTEN to the Complete Episode HERE on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY
If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the first part of this interview, you can go back to episode 287 and give it a listen. By the way, that episode of Talking Taiwan, episode 287 got us shortlisted in the top 15 podcasts selected in the category of "Moment of Visionary Leadership" for the 2024 International Women's Podcast Awards. This year the IWPA had 700 submissions from over 33 different countries. Results were announced in London on Wednesday, June 19th.
While we were not selected as the winning podcast in this category, we are deeply honored to have our work recognized. Any increased visibility for Talking Taiwan also means greater visibility for Taiwan.
In case you didn’t know, Talking Taiwan is also on YouTube, and we did video record my interview with Linda, so we do plan on releasing it on our YouTube channel, but please be patient with us since we are only a two-person team.
We do have some interesting content on YouTube that’s different from our podcast episodes, so if you haven’t already, we encourage you to look for Talking Taiwan on YouTube and to subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@talkingtaiwan
Issues of Formosa Magazine
Photo Credit: Linda Gail Arrigo
The Kaohsiung Eight (from left to right):
Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏), Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介), Chen Chu (陳菊), Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), Shih Ming-teh (施明德), Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Lin Hung-hsuan (林弘宣 ), and Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄)- not pictured
Photo Credit: Screenshot from Formosa Incident, Explained YouTube video from Taiwan Explained by TaiwanPlus: https://youtu.be/2eaxPhA9RN8?si=_YF0brrtyjOwlu6D
International Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Taiwan (ICDHRT)- Lynn Miles’ organization
Photo Credit: Linda Gail Arrigo
Linda Gail Arrigo (艾琳達) wearing the three-colored sash, and the three-colored banners and signs of the dangwai (黨外) i.e. outside party or opposition.
Photo Credit: Linda Gail Arrigo
Related Links:
Linda Gail Arrigo (艾琳達): https://www.linda-gail-arrigo.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Arrigo
Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: Taiwan Democracy Fighter Talks About Events Leading Up to the Kaohsiung Incident (Episode 287): https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-linda-gail-arrigo-taiwan-democracy-fighter-talks-about-events-leading-up-to-the-kaohsiung-incident-ep-287/
The “Kaohsiung Incident” of 1979 (an article from Taiwan Communique): https://www.taiwandc.org/hst-1979.htm
Formosa Incident (an article from OFT- Outreach for Taiwan): https://oftaiwan.org/history/white-terror/formosa-incident/
Formosa Incident, Explained (YouTube video from Taiwan Explained by TaiwanPlus): https://youtu.be/2eaxPhA9RN8?si=_YF0brrtyjOwlu6D
Kaohsiung Incident: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaohsiung_Incident
Reports on the Kaohsiung Incident
Contemporary reports from 20 years ago shed light on the attitude of the authorities to the Incident’s aftermath (an article from the Taipei Times published in 1999): https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/1999/12/10/0000014313
Kaohsiung Eight trial pointed way to Taiwan's future: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/1999/12/09/0000014182
Taiwan Garrison Command: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Garrison_Command
Taiwan’s Martial Law era: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_law_in_Taiwan
White Terror Era in Taiwan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Terror_(Taiwan)
Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/
Kuomintang (KMT, Chinese Nationalist Party, 中國國民黨): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuomintang
Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek
Chiang Jing-kuo (蔣經國): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Ching-kuo
Annette Lu (呂秀蓮): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annette_Lu
Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Yi-hsiung
Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄) family murders: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Yi-hsiung#Lin_Family_Massacre
NSB implicated in 1980 Lin I-hsiung family murders: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2023/02/25/2003795016
KMT government might have been behind martial law-era homicide of Taiwanese dissidents family: Report (Investigation suggests authorities deleted key recording of call made by suspected murderer from home of jailed dissident Lin Yi-hsiung): https://taiwannews.com.tw/news/3877438
Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yao_Chia-wen
Huang Hsin-chieh (黃信介): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huang_Hsin-chieh
Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_Chun-hung
Shih Ming-teh (施明德): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shih_Ming-teh
Shih Ming-Teh 施明德 – “Taiwan's Mandela”: https://www.formosafiles.com/s3-e41-shih-ming-teh-taiwans-mandela/
Bonus Episode: Linda Gail Arrigo's Verdict On Shih Ming-Teh 施明德: https://www.formosafiles.com/bonus-episode-linda-gail-arrigos-verdict-on-shih-ming-teh-shi-ming-de/
Lynn Miles (梅心怡): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynn_Miles_(activist)
Chen Chu (陳菊): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Chu
Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chen_Shui-bian
Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Tseng-chang
Frank Hsieh (謝長廷): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hsieh
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民主進步黨): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Progressive_Party
Su Beng/ Shǐ Míng (史明): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Beng
About Su Beng (史明): http://aboutsubeng.com/
Christian Science Monitor: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/
Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/
James Soong (宋楚瑜): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Soong
Government Information Office (of Taiwan’s Executive Yuan): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Information_Office
Voice of Taiwan: https://youtu.be/VwkvoOlvvzM?si=XOpFfsmDNVZDvaAX
Taiwan Relations Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/house-bill/2479
https://www.ait.org.tw/taiwan-relations-act-public-law-96-8-22-u-s-c-3301-et-seq/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_Relations_Act
Jingmei White Terror Memorial Park: https://www.nhrm.gov.tw/w/nhrmEN/Jing_Mei_Explore
‘Kaohsiung Eight’ relatives top vote getters (from the Taiwan Communique): https://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/tc01-int.pdf
Former U.S. President Richard Nixon: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/richard-m-nixon/
Nixon’s Trip to China: https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/nixons-trip-china
Jimmy Carter, “Establishing Diplomatic Relations With China,” Dec. 15, 1978: https://china.usc.edu/jimmy-carter-%E2%80%9Cestablishing-diplomatic-relations-china%E2%80%9D-dec-15-1978
Taiwan Communique: Revealing the Truth of Taiwan’s White Terror Era (Episode 63): https://talkingtaiwan.com/taiwan-communique-revealing-truth-taiwans-white-terror-era/
Understanding the History of Taiwan through Dr. Jerome Keating Ep 97: https://talkingtaiwan.com/understandinga-the-history-of-taiwan-through-dr-jerome-keating-ep-97/
Remembering Su Beng Taiwanese Revolutionary with Jiho Chang (Episode 156): https://talkingtaiwan.com/remembering-su-beng-taiwanese-revolutionary-with-jiho-chang-ep-156/
Gerrit van der Wees: The Past and Present State of U.S. Taiwan Relations (Episode 199): https://talkingtaiwan.com/gerrit-van-der-wees-the-past-and-present-state-of-u-s-taiwan-relations-ep-199/
Dr. Mark Chen: Advocate for Taiwan in Both the U.S. and Taiwan (Episode 212): https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-mark-chen-advocate-for-taiwan-in-both-the-u-s-and-taiwan-ep-212/
Dr. Wei-Ping Li: How Taiwan’s Media Environment Changed from Martial Law Era to Present Ep 267: https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-wei-ping-li-how-taiwans-media-environment-changed-from-martial-law-era-to-present
LISTEN to Episode 289: Dr. Linda Gail Arrigo: The Kaohsiung Incident – The Watershed Moment That Led to Taiwan’s Democratization HERE
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