Anti-Communist Martyrs

A 1955 stamp from Taiwan commemorating the Anti-Communist Martyrs.

Anti-Communist Martyr (Chinese: 反共義士) is the title given by the Kuomintang government in Taiwan to defecting soldiers from mainland China during the Korean War, and later the Cold War. The title was first given on January 23, 1954 to 14,000 prisoners of war from the People's Volunteer Army who defected to Taiwan. Most of these defectors were former Kuomintang soldiers taken captive by the communist forces during the Chinese Civil War. The defectors were tattooed with anti-communist slogans and the KMT flag before coming to Taiwan.[1] The memorial day World Freedom Day (一二三自由日) was founded in their honor.

The title was later given to a number of aircraft hijackers from the People's Liberation Army Air Force who flew to Taiwan. Many of these defectors were given financial rewards for their defection. The title was abolished following the end of martial law in Taiwan and the thawing of cross-strait relations.

References

  1. ↑ From Anti-Communist Martyrs to Illegal Immigrants: Taiwan as a State of Exception. Shu-Fen tin & Hsi-Ping Schive, National Chiao Tung University

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