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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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