Cells are overrun with the rapid increase of arrests all over the country. Even theaters are provisionally turned into detention houses. Early January, 1951, Kun-lin is moved to a Xindian precinct, formerly the “Xindian Theater�. He has just turned 20.
Morning.
* Xindian Theater. Xindian Detention House.
March 10, noon. Kun-lin’s father, Mei-fang Tsai, applies for a visit. The father and son stare at each other through a small window, and remain silent for a long time.
V2-40
A-sia- , you came by yourself?
Is A-niâ doing well?
Your brother-inlaw came with me.
Mm.
A-niâ prepared something for me to give you.
----
A-sia……
Don’t worry about me!
V2-41
Even though it’s a 10-year sentence,
It’s still no death penalty. And…
If I behave well, I get to go home early.
Kun-lin… Please take good care of yourself...
V1-42 V2-42
Soon after meeting his father, Kun-lin is sent back to the Detention
?
Center of Military Law.
Young man, where you from? How long you in for?
Qingshui, Taichung. 10 years.
Yin-Hsiang Yang, can you pick up your story about being a prisoner of war in Australia?
I’m from Tainan, also sentenced for 10 years. You’re still young, but I’ll be 40 when I get out.
Yea, I was a soldier in Prisoner of war?
We were sent to Papa
Then, we were captured
New Guinea, fighting in
by Australian forces, and
the rain forests.
became their prisoners.
Southeast Asia during the Japanese Era.
But the Australians treated us pretty well. We never worried about food, and they even taught us how to tap dance.
V1-43 V2-43
Tap Dance?
V2-44
Yea, let me show you.
“Even after going through all that, he could still look back at it with such ease… Who knew there are so many people in prison who are worth learning from.” Kun-lin thought to himself.
V2-45
Two days later, Kun-lin was moved to “Neihu Freshman Corps”, located in Neihu Elementary School. just turned 20.
V1-46 V2-46
* A-niâ: one of the terms for “mother” in Taiwanese.
At the time, political prisoners who needed “thought reform” were all sent to concentration camps to be “reeducated”. Controlled by the Security Command, and repurposed from old public-school classrooms, the “Neihu Freshman Corps” was such an institution for reform and education.
*Three Principles of the People, Civic Nationalism, Governance Rights, Welfare Rights
V1-47 V2-47
ainland! Go and reclaim, reclaim, reclaim the mainl c la im th e m and! lai m , re c e r , m e mainland is our territory. h t , d i n a l e a m o l h r c u o re inla nd is and T he m a Go Our homeland, our territory,
st We mu m it! R ec la i
V2-48
go bac k an R ec la im it
d reclaim it! We must go back and reclaim it!
! Recover the mainland! Recover the mainland!
* “Go and Reclaim the Mainland”: a political propaganda song used by the Republic of China government to promote Chinese unification under the framework of its “Project National Glory”. Composed by Li Zhonghe, lyrics by Jing Shu.
For Kun-lin, compared to the crowded and dark military Detention Center, at least in the Freshman Corp, he could see the blue skies and momentarily ease his aches and sorrows.
V2-49
And yet, the conditions inside the Freshman Corps are still appalling.
V2-50
V2-51
V2-52
May 15th, 1951. At the break of dawn, Kun-lin is rounded up with the other thousand or so political prisoners from the Neihu Freshman Corps and Xindian Detention House. Carrying what belongings they have and two steamed buns that were distributed, they were detained onto an amphibious assault ship in Keelung harbor. The ship set sail, destination unknown.
* This was a tank landing ship that the United States Navy transferred over to the Republic of China government after World War II. Its bottom structure is flat, making the ship easily affected by waves and hence unsteady during its course. The dark, damp cargo hold originally transported tanks and military supplies.
V2-53
ere
Wh
ing?
go e we
ar
Wher
e on e arth a re we Overs ? eas?
the world are
Where in ? they taking us
They can’t be dumpin g us in the m iddle of the ocean, righ t?
ll up To fi a? e the s
*PUK
E*
⋯⋯ ⋯⋯
V2-54
⋯⋯
Th is s t bu n? eame
d
It’s
y…
old
all m
V2-55
V2-56
e! Get in lin y one! b e n Get up o
V2-57
V2-58
Probably
Where is this?
Bonfire Island.
Hey! You’re looking very frail, take care of yourself here!
That’s Gui-fang Hsieh.
Gui-fang Hsieh, Kun-lin recognizes this name. His brother, Gui-lin Hsieh was a doctor; he had already been executed.
V2-59
Two months after embarking, the young man who comforted Kun-lin with his warmest smile, passes away on this island because of liver disease.
V2-60
* white roaches: wharf roaches, a type of land-dwelling crustacean common by the seashore.
Their skins are so pale, they look like white roaches.
They’re just people! Why did they tell us these are apes?
Green Island Gongguan Village.
Right? And they don’t look like bad people either.
* The residents of Green Island have given up traditional Han clothing to adapt to the tropical climates. They were told that a “freshman” group of unforgivable criminals were coming to the island, and that they must not be approached. (The Mandarin term for “freshman” sounds similar to the Taiwanese Hokkien term for “ape”.)
V2-61
Home for a New Life
V2-62
* “New life” in Chinese characters is a homonym of “freshman.”
Green Island, formerly known as “Bonfire Island,” is a landmass of about 16 square kilometers located in the Pacific Ocean. Ethnically Han people known as the Hoklo have migrated here from Lambai Island. Because the island is surrounded by perilous waters that make escape difficult, the Taiwan Provincial Security Command established a “New Life Correction Center” here in 1951. A majority of political prisoners was sent to the center for confinement.
V2-63
May 17th, 1951, Kun-lin joins the first wave of “freshman� to land on this island.
V2-64
That night marked the first time in 8 months since his arrest, that Kun-lin could stretch his legs in bed. And yet, when Kun-lin thinks of A-sia- , A-niâ, and
his beloved Bi-ju Yang back home, tears still well up in his eyes involuntarily.
V2-65
Next morning.
Freshmen, new comrades, I am the director of the New Life Correction Center. Our government is benevolent and forgiving, and offer you a chance to redeem yourselves, to come here and reform your thoughts.
Major General Sheng-jhai Yao, the inaugural director of New Life Correction Center.
Listen up! I represent a holy cross. Those who follow me may live, those who turn their backs face only death.
There are about 2000 people in the Correction Center, divided into three brigades, each further split into 4 squadrons. There is also a small and separate “Women’s Corps.” Kun-lin is put in the first brigade’s third squadron.
V2-66
Due to the lack of supplies and infrastructure, the freshmen must do manual work both day and night by the sea.
Master Shi-gui! Can I learn rock-splitting from you? !
AM
WH
You’re thin as a stick, there’s no strength in you to do this.
Just give me a try.
V2-67
Aim properly!
OK, I’ll let you try if you want to.
M!
A WH
Alright, again!
I think I’ll just stick to carrying rocks.
V2-68
Bing-hung Tsai! Let me carry that with you.
Didn’t you go learn how to split rocks with Master Shi-gui?
Yeah, he wasn’t worried I would split his hand, but I was terrified.
The freshmen carried coral stones from the shore to build not only a command center and their own quarters, but also a long fence that enclosed themselves in. The freshmen jokingly call it “The Great Wall.”
V2-69