Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wei said official records from the Justice Ministry showed that about 140,000 people were court-martialed in 29,407 cases during the martial law period from 1949 to 1987.

But “revelations” of the Judicial Yuan indicated that political cases during the period could total 60,000 to 70,000, and if an average of three people had been involved in each case, over 200,000 victims would have been tried by the military, Shieh estimated.

He claimed that in the first five years of the 1950s — known as the “White Terror” era — at least 4,000 to 5,000, and perhaps as many as 8,000, “Chinese communist spies,” —intellectuals, workers and farmers — were executed by the military.

Japanese colonial rulers returned Taiwan to the KMT-ruled China in 1945 after World War II.

But in 1947, KMT troops killed thousands of Taiwanese while suppressing islandwide riots sparked by an incident on Feb. 28, now known as the 2-28 Incident.

While mistrust began growing between Taiwanese and immigrants from the mainland following the 2-28 Incident, the KMT government retreated to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to the Chinese communists.

Martial law was declared on May 20, 1949, and ended on July 15, 1987.

Shieh’s report was part of government activities to mark the 20th anniversary of lifting martial law.

But officials from the KMT, now in the opposition, called Shieh’s estimation an exaggeration. They said Shieh’s figures could not be verified.

Meanwhile, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung announced that July 15 will be “Commemoration Day for the Lifting of Martial Law,” and said that the mistakes of history can be forgiven but not forgotten.

Chang made the announcement and remarks while delivering a keynote speech on the 20th anniversary of the end of martial law in Taiwan, during the weekly Cabinet meeting.

He said human rights violations were rampant in that era.

After the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power in 2000, the government has been committed to amending relevant laws to compensate people who fell prey to martial law, he said.

He added that as of the end of June, 15,771 victims had received NT$18.29 billion in government reparations.

The designation of July 15 as the “Commemoration Day of the Lifting of Martial Law” is aimed at helping people gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s democracy and cherish the country’s hard-earned democracy, he explained.

In keeping with the 20th anniversary of the end of martial law, Taiwan Post Co. issued the same day a set of commemorative stamps observing the liberation of freedom of speech and the end of press censorship, each with a face value of NT$20. The stamps will be on sale from July 15 at post offices around the country.

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