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The Decisions about the February 28 Incident

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Chiayi

On March 2, 1947, the insurrection occurred in Chiayi; and on the next day, March 3, the whole city had turned into a state of anarchy. As a result, the Chiayi gentry, including Lô͘ Péng-khim, asked Uong'e Yatauyungana, the then mayor of Wufeng Township for help. Uong'e Yatauyungana decided to gather the Indigenous cadres and send his people to plain areas to help maintain social orders, while escorting the Tainan County Mayor Yuan Kuo-chin and many other county government officials to Alishan for safety. On March 9, 1947, Chang Ping-cheng reported to the Secrets Bureau that the Chiayi rebels, included Gaoshan Peoples and the Japanese hiding in the mountains, attacked the camps of the Chinese Nationalist army in the late evening of March 2.


Maintaining Orders and Attacking the Airport

On the late night of March 3, 1947, Yapasuyong'e Yulunana (Tang Shou-jen), who used to serve as a Japanese military officer, led his people to depart from Lalauya for Pùn-ki-ô͘ station. There, they took a train to Jhuci and then entered downtown Chiyi by truck. The group were stationed at a hostel called Keikōsha (currently the Chiayi Buddhist Association).


On March 4, Yapasuyong'e Yulunana and his people encircled and attacked the 19th Armory at Âng-mn̂g-pi (today’s Lantan in Chiayi). Although the Chinese Nationalist army soon put on a fire there, the militia still acquired various weapons including rifles, pistols, and autocannons, all were brought back to Keikōsha. The militia was then splitted into two groups: one led by Fang I-chung to assist the young students in Chiayi to maintain city orders; the other was directed by Yapasuyong'e Yulunana to encircle Shueishang Airport with the non-Indigenous inhabitants.


On March 10, the battle had reached an impasse without any progress on negotiation between the two sides. Meanwhile, the news that the Chinese Nationalist army had landed Taiwan and was heading south kept spreading. During the late night, Yapasuyong'e Yulunana led his people to take the train at Chiayi North Gate station and returned to Alishan with lots of weapons.


Pingtung

On March 20, 1947, Chang Ping-cheng reported to the Secrets Bureau that Ia̍p Chhiu-bo̍k, a member of Pingtung City Council, among others had organized a Settlement Committee to incite outlaws and the aboriginals to plunder, causing great public disorder. However, his claim has not been attested by any other recollection or relevant data.


Hualien

Owing to its remote location, the February 28 Incident hadn’t affected Eastern Taiwan until March 3, 1947. However, Indigenous people in this area accounted for a large part of the population, and thus they had an influence on the development of the Incident to some extent. 


On March 5, civillians, students, youth corps, Taiwanese policemen, and fire brigades joined armed riots at Hualien Port. In response, the millitary troops and millitary police assembled and stood by at the millitary camp. Meanwhile, the Hualien gentry organized the February 28 Incident Settlement Committee. In Fengling District, each Indigenous community  assigned one representative with a total of twenty people. Each of them carried a Japanese sword and went to the city to investigate the government’s attitude, and left after the Settlement Committee explained what the circumstances were. Walis Umin (Lin Ming-yung), the Truku Mayor of Sioulin Township, was also one of the Committee members for negotiation.


On March 11, the Settlement Committee disbanded because of the news that the Chinese Naionalist army had arrived in Taipei. Many young participants of the riot hid themselves in mountatin areas where Gaoshan Peoples lived.


Taitung

On March 3, 1947, the protesting crowd forced into the official residence of Hsieh Chen, the Mayor of Taitung County. He retreated to the Puyuma Community and requested that the Taitung Council Speaker Tân Chín-chong to face the public.


On March 4, local councillors organized the Settlement Committee on behalf of the gentry. On the other hand, the Youth Corps and the student squads could not acquire enough weapons since the police had already hidden the guns and bullets away. The young people were outraged when they heard that the Chinese Nationalist army had brutally killed tens of thousands of Taiwanese people in Chiayi and Kaohsiung. Their strong intention of proceeding to Chiayi was held back by Tân Chín-chong, who later became the target of public furore and was eventually dropped out from the Settlement Committee.


On March 7, representatives of the Settlement Committee called for the County Mayor and Speaker’s return to handle the situation. On March 10, Hsieh Chen established an ad hoc office which gradually brought back peace in Taitung.

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