ABSTRACT
The lifting of martial law in July 1987 was a key moment in Taiwan’s modern political history. It marked the end of almost four decades of martial law (1949-87). If we include its Japanese colonial period (1895-1945), then Taiwan’s twentieth century can be viewed as predominantly a history of authoritarianism. Today, images of military police arresting political prisoners and forcibly cutting the hair of young men whose hairstyles were deemed too long seem like ancient history. However, as this chapter will show, Taiwan’s experiences and institutions under the authoritarian era have left indelible marks on contemporary Taiwanese politics.
