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Taiwan
teenagers now learn about the island's
history at school, and because of this
change to the school curriculum, there
has been a search for Taiwanese heroes.
In today's junior high school textbooks,
students read that Lin Shao-mao fought
against Japanese rule between 1895 and
1902.Lin remains a controversial figure.
Now hailed as a hero, he was of course
deemed a "bandit" by the Japanese
colonial authorities.
Born in 1866, Lin Shao-mao lived in A-hou (now Pingtung City), where
he was a rice miller. Lin, who also sold fish and pork in the markets,
rose to have much power in A-hou.
Lin
later became a petty government official,
but abused his position. Accused of corruption,
he returned to A-hou as an outlaw, and
led his followers to settle at Talun, a
fertile islet on the Kaoping River. The
outlaws robbed nearby villages, stealing
not only livestock but also women.
Then,
in the wake of the Sino-Japanese War, China
ceded Taiwan to Japan in April 1895. A
Taiwan Republic was declared on 23 May
1895. The presidency of the republic fell
on Liu Yung-fu. Lin Shao-mao backed Liu,
who in turn provided weapons.In late 1895,
Liu departed to the mainland, dashing hopes
of a Taiwan Republic. But resistance by
Taiwanese continued: Lin Shao-mao regrouped
his men, and in June 1896 almost seized
A-hou. Lin trained his men well, and held
a huge advantage in his knowledge of the
local terrain. His three main bases at
Talun, Tatung Farm and Houpilin were carefully
chosen. Talun lay among the channels of
the Kaoping River, with access along twisting
paths across the streams. The Tatung Farm
base lay in a neck of land at the confluence
of two rivers. The largest base, at Houpilin,
overlooked Fengshan to the north, and Dunggang
to the southwest.
Throughout
1897, Lin launched daring attacks from
these bases, usually with a few hundred
men, on the Japanese occupiers. An attack
on A-hou in 1898 failed, but Lin's men
forced Japanese reinforcements to flee
into the mountains. Back at Tatung Farm,
Lin assembled a force of over 2,000 men,
including 700 Paiwan aborigines.
On December 28, 1898, Lin attacked Chaojou, where his men overwhelned
the Japanese forces and beheaded the top Japanese official.
The
rebels moved south to Hengchun, but failed
to take the town. After a stiff fight,
the rebels fled. The Japanese massacred
more than 2,000 people, but the now heroic
Lin Shao-mao evaded death or capture.
Goto
Shinpei, the Japanese governor of Taiwan,
offered surrender terms to "bandits" as
early as July 1898, but was rebuffed. Surrender
terms agreed on 12 November 1899 gave Lin
the right to rule over a tax-free fiefdom
at Houpilin. His men were free to carry
arms, and were indemnified against lawsuits
arising from the partisan days.
The
surrender ceremony was held at A-hou on
12 May 1900. The only conditions the Japanese
asked were that the rebels forswear banditry,
that all arms be marked and recorded, and
that all be photographed and have their
names recorded.
After
the surrender, Lin and his men farmed,
fished and made wine at Houpilin. Rumors
persisted that the "bandits" had
kept a base at Talun, and by May 1902 Japanese
patience was exhausted. Lin's followers
were ordered to assemble at six points
in the south on 26 May 1902, where they
were gunned down.
The
Japanese next came after Lin Shao-mao,
alleging his community "was spreading
disease." On 30 May, Japanese soldiers
equipped with mortars attacked Lin's stronghold
at Houpilin. After four hours the base
was in flames; as Japanese forces began
to enter the compound, Lin attempted to
flee from the front gate. He was shot dead.
The
Japanese authorities declare an official
end to the "bandit" problem.
But a century on, the legend of Lin Shao-mao
has entered Taiwan's school textbooks.
The author would like to thank Lee Ming-chin for his kind help.
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