Censorship in Taiwan
Encyclopedia
Censorship in the Republic of China
, commonly known as Taiwan, was greatly relaxed when the state moved away from authoritarianism in 1987. Since then, the media has generally been allowed to broadcast political opposition
. Today, the focus of censorship is slander and libel
, cross-Strait relations
, and national security.
, in 1941 the Second Volume of the book "Inside Asia", by John Gunther
, was prohibited and censored by the Republic of China (based in Chongqing
, since portions of the Second Volume reported on certain things in Northwestern China which Chinese Muslims
were doing.
In much of the martial law
period of the Republic of China
in Taiwan
(1948–1987), the Kuomintang
, as an authoritarian state, exercised strict control of the media. Parties other than the Kuomintang were banned and media advocating either democracy or Taiwan independence was banned. Li Ao
, a famous political activist in Taiwan, nationalist, and intellectual, had over 96 books banned from sale. Writer Bo Yang
was jailed for eight years for his translation of the cartoon Popeye
because the translation was interpreted as a criticism of leader Chiang Kai-shek
. Taiwanese-language media was also banned, and children who spoke Taiwanese in school were physically punished. The revision of Criminal Acts against seditious speech in 1992 ended the persecution to political opponents.
, and national security. The principal organs of censorship are the National Communications Commission (NCC) and the Government Information Office
(GIO). The formerly murky lines of control exercised by the government over the media through party-ownership of media assets during the Kuomintang
era have now been resolved by the progressive disbursement of such assets by the Kuomintang
under sustained pressure from the Democratic Progressive Party
.
, also remain active. However, the contemporary relevance of those laws have been questioned, with even a Taiwan Communist Party
obtaining registration as a political party in recent years.
More covert moves have also been made by the government to censor unfavourable media. In 2006, the government under the Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) refused to renew the broadcasting licenses of certain television channels suggesting that the broadcasters were not in compliance with broadcasting standards. However, this move became controversial because some of the channels who failed their broadcast license
renewal have a reputation to favour the opposition Kuomintang
in their programming. Also, "On March 20, 2006, security police went to the Taipei offices of Next Magazine
and to its printers and seized copies of the next day’s issue, saying it 'threatened national security.' Some 160,000 copies were seized, but the magazine was still on sale at news-stands because the staff had secretly managed to print more copies elsewhere."
and the People's Republic of China
is an active area of controversy. For example, satellite channels perceived to adopt a pro-PRC or pro-unification editorial stance, such as Phoenix TV, were refused landing rights in Taiwan by the DPP-controlled government. Similarly, correspondent offices representing the PRC government-controlled Xinhua News Agency
and the People's Daily
were closed by the DPP-controlled government. These policies were reversed after the election of the Kuomintang
in 2008.
In 2010, government restrictions on access to information are increasingly sophisticated and rely heavily on electronic filters. For example, attempts to access websites such as MSN (USA version) or Google (particularly google.ca) in public libraries have resulted in "Access denied" messages. However, access to Yahoo, in which PRC entities are heavily invested, are not similarly restricted.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, commonly known as Taiwan, was greatly relaxed when the state moved away from authoritarianism in 1987. Since then, the media has generally been allowed to broadcast political opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
. Today, the focus of censorship is slander and libel
Slander and libel
Defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement, slander , and libel —is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give an individual, business, product, group, government, or nation a negative image...
, cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
, and national security.
History
During the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, in 1941 the Second Volume of the book "Inside Asia", by John Gunther
John Gunther
John Gunther was an American journalist and author whose success came primarily in the 1940s and 1950s with a series of popular sociopolitical works known as the "Inside" books...
, was prohibited and censored by the Republic of China (based in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
, since portions of the Second Volume reported on certain things in Northwestern China which Chinese Muslims
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
were doing.
In much of the martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
period of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
(1948–1987), the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
, as an authoritarian state, exercised strict control of the media. Parties other than the Kuomintang were banned and media advocating either democracy or Taiwan independence was banned. Li Ao
Li Ao
Li Ao , is a writer, social commentator, historian, and independent politician in the Republic of China .He is considered by many to be one of the most important modern Chinese essayists today, although critics have termed him an intellectual narcissist...
, a famous political activist in Taiwan, nationalist, and intellectual, had over 96 books banned from sale. Writer Bo Yang
Bo Yang
This article is about the Chinese writer. His name in Western languages is homonymic with Bó Yáng .Boyang , also sometimes called Baiyang, was a Chinese language writer based in Taiwan...
was jailed for eight years for his translation of the cartoon Popeye
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
because the translation was interpreted as a criticism of leader Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
. Taiwanese-language media was also banned, and children who spoke Taiwanese in school were physically punished. The revision of Criminal Acts against seditious speech in 1992 ended the persecution to political opponents.
Post-democratisation
Censorship laws remain in place as applicable to the Taiwan Area, but are not enforced with the former rigour. The main areas of censorship, or alleged censorship, occur in the realms of politics, cross-Strait relationsCross-Strait relations
Cross-Strait relations refers to the relations between People's Republic of China and the Republic of China , which lie to the west and east, repectively, of the Taiwan Strait in the west Pacific Ocean....
, and national security. The principal organs of censorship are the National Communications Commission (NCC) and the Government Information Office
Government Information Office
The Government Information Office is a cabinet-level agency of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China in charge of promoting government policies and regulating domestic media.-History:...
(GIO). The formerly murky lines of control exercised by the government over the media through party-ownership of media assets during the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
era have now been resolved by the progressive disbursement of such assets by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
under sustained pressure from the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
.
Political censorship
Laws governing elections and politics restrict the publication and broadcasting of political material. For example, in the local elections of 2005, CDs with videos ridiculing candidates were confiscated in accordance to the Election and Recall Act. Laws prohibiting the promotion of CommunismCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, also remain active. However, the contemporary relevance of those laws have been questioned, with even a Taiwan Communist Party
Taiwan Communist Party
The Taiwan Communist Party is a political party of the Republic of China established legally on July 20, 2008 at Xinhua, Tainan County...
obtaining registration as a political party in recent years.
More covert moves have also been made by the government to censor unfavourable media. In 2006, the government under the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
(DPP) refused to renew the broadcasting licenses of certain television channels suggesting that the broadcasters were not in compliance with broadcasting standards. However, this move became controversial because some of the channels who failed their broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
renewal have a reputation to favour the opposition Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
in their programming. Also, "On March 20, 2006, security police went to the Taipei offices of Next Magazine
Next Magazine
Next Magazine is a Chinese weekly magazine, published in Hong Kong and Taiwan with different versions. Owned by Jimmy Lai , both magazines are the number one news magazines in both markets in terms of audited circulation and AC Nielsen reports...
and to its printers and seized copies of the next day’s issue, saying it 'threatened national security.' Some 160,000 copies were seized, but the magazine was still on sale at news-stands because the staff had secretly managed to print more copies elsewhere."
Cross Strait relations
The use of overt and covert censorship in relation to mainland ChinaMainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is an active area of controversy. For example, satellite channels perceived to adopt a pro-PRC or pro-unification editorial stance, such as Phoenix TV, were refused landing rights in Taiwan by the DPP-controlled government. Similarly, correspondent offices representing the PRC government-controlled Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency
The Xinhua News Agency is the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC. It is the largest news agency in the PRC, ahead of the China News Service...
and the People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
were closed by the DPP-controlled government. These policies were reversed after the election of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
in 2008.
Future of censorship
The authority for censorship in Taiwan since 2006 is the National Communications Commission (NCC). On June 26, 2006, news reports said the Council of Grand Justices of the ROC had their constitutional review result that part of the National Communications Commission Organization Act (e.g. Article 4) is unconstitutional, and there will be two years after which this law is invalid.In 2010, government restrictions on access to information are increasingly sophisticated and rely heavily on electronic filters. For example, attempts to access websites such as MSN (USA version) or Google (particularly google.ca) in public libraries have resulted in "Access denied" messages. However, access to Yahoo, in which PRC entities are heavily invested, are not similarly restricted.
See also
- Propaganda in the Republic of ChinaPropaganda in the Republic of ChinaPropaganda has been an important tool of the Republic of China government since its inception in 1912. It also was an important tool in legitimizing the Kuomintang controlled Republic of China government that retreated from Mainland China to Taiwan in 1949....
- Kaohsiung IncidentKaohsiung IncidentThe Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
- James SoongJames SoongJames Soong Chu-yu , is a politician in the Republic of China on Taiwan. He founded and chairs the People First Party, a smaller and more conservative party in the Kuomintang -led Pan-Blue Coalition....
(Director-General, GIO, 1979 to 1984)
- James Soong
- Cinema of TaiwanCinema of TaiwanThe history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of Mainland China and Cinema of Taiwan . Taiwanese cinema grew up outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.Taiwanese cinema is deeply rooted...