Folk resistance against Japanese troops
Since Japanese troops stationed in Taiwan, Tauyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli and south of Taichung, folks everywhere were organizing together to guard themselves against the Japanese. After repeated setbacks, the Japanese strengthened its arms, then the local forces started to loose ground all the way to Baguar Mountain in Chanhua. At that point, both sides had lost countless arms and soldiers.
In Tainang, there was Liu Yon-Fu's formally trained army. The Japanese did not dare to underestimate its power and strength, so they transferred their crack troops from Dalien on the mainland. When the Japanese troops advanced to Tainang's perimeter, the gentry and merchants inside asked a British priest to greet them and opened the gate for them to enter into the town! Liu fled to Hsiamen. Under this kind of adverse circumstances, Taiwanese people used primitive weapons to fight against the state of the art weapons of the Japanese, only in an effort to protect their homes and families. Tens of thousands of lives were sacrificed during the five-months resistance, but in vain.
In my observation, there were several factors contributed to the Japanese occupation of Taiwan: (1) Ching Emperor ceded Taiwan to Japan; (2) Ching military forces abandoned Taiwan; (3) Selfish Taiwanese gentry treasured their lives and properties only, they did not cooperate with the militiamen in fighting against the enemy; (4) The militiamen's equipments were simple and crude, they also lacked formal military training; (5) The militiamen did not have sufficient time to organize together under one command.
Democratic Taiwan's history was rather short, but it has taught us to be self-reliant, independent. If it were not for our strong economy and mutual political benefits, who or which country would go through all the troubles to stand on our side? But then again, if the diplomatic relations between two nations depend on mutual benefits, then this kind of relation definitely will not last forever.
Taiwan Tati Cultural & Educational Foundation
