Martial law in Taiwan

The Martial Law Declaration Act (Chinese: 戒嚴法; pinyin: Jièyánfǎ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kài-giâm-hoat) was issued by the Nationalist Government later in the 1920s and amended in the 1940s.

In April 1948, the newly elected National Assembly passed the Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion as a constitutional amendment.

In September 1949, Chen Cheng then submitted a request to Premier Yan Xishan, proposing to amend the second Declaration of Nationwide Martial Law to add Hainan and Taiwan into the War Zone.

The outcome of the Chinese Civil War forced the Kuomintang-led Government of the Republic of China to retreat to Taiwan on 7 December 1949.

[8] The procedure of the ratification of the martial law declarations was significantly flawed as found by an investigation conducted by the Control Yuan.

In order to implement the strict political censorship, the lianzuo or collective responsibility system was adopted among the civil servants from 9 July 1949 and soon spread to all the enterprises and institutions, according to which no one would be employed without a guarantor.

[citation needed] The government was authorized by the martial law to deny the right of assembly, free speech and publication in Taiwanese Hokkien.

"[11] Taiwan Garrison Command had sweeping powers, including the right to arrest anyone voicing criticism of government policy and to screen publications prior to distribution.

[citation needed] Enforcement was slowly relaxed after Chiang Kai-shek's death in 1975, but continued until the exposure of the Donggang Incident by international media reportage and the follow-up Parliament questioning by newly elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members in June 1987.

This temporary martial law was formally lifted on 7 November 1992, marking a turn to constitutional democracy for the entire Free area of the Republic of China, though the statutory restriction on civilians' traveling to Kinmen or Matsu remained effective until 13 May 1994.