About the "May 24" anti-American incident in Taiwan

Liu Ziran Incident

At 11 o'clock in the evening on March 20, 1957 (the 46th year of the Republic of China), he served as the director of the "Revolutionary Practice Research Institute" in Yangmingshan The employee's man, Liu Ziran, was shot twice and killed by R.G. Reynolds in front of the residence of US Army Staff Sergeant R.G. Reynolds stationed in Taiwan. However, two months later, the US military court responsible for hearing the case ruled that Renault was acquitted on the grounds of "insufficient evidence for murder," triggering a large-scale anti-American violent conflict among Taiwanese people, known in history as the "Liu Ziran Incident."

After the murder, the Taiwanese police considered Renault a current criminal and planned to arrest him and bring him to justice. However, the U.S. military police who also went to the scene at the same time argued that "U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan enjoy diplomatic immunity." blocked and transferred to the U.S. military prosecutor for trial.

Reynold testified during the interrogation that because Liu Ziziran was crouching outside the bathroom window of his home to spy on his wife taking a bath, he took out his pistol and walked outside the house for inspection. He found Liu Ziziran walking towards him with an iron rod in his hand. Later, in fear, he shot Liu in self-defense. However, Renault's version of events is quite different from the media and popular versions. One theory is that Liu Ziran and Renault had sold drugs together, and Renault suspected that Liu was "taking advantage of others" against him. Murderous intent.

To be cautious, at the end of March, China and the United States formed a task force to jointly investigate the truth of the case. In mid-April, the Ministry of Justice and Administration of our country requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to forward our investigation results, which concluded that Sergeant Reno committed the murder intentionally rather than in self-defense. However, the U.S. Embassy did not accept this statement, and Sino-U.S. relations reached a deadlock. Taiwan's news media, contrary to its past cautious attitude of keeping quiet about foreign-related incidents in the United States, reported and commented on the whole case at large, attracting great attention from all walks of life at home and abroad.

On May 23, the U.S. military court jury voted and acquitted Reno on the grounds of "insufficient evidence for homicide" and deported him to the United States on the same day. On May 24, major newspapers and media outlets in Taiwan published articles one after another criticizing the unfair judgment of the United States. The United Daily News editorial on that day was titled "Protest against the US military's contempt for human rights" and attacked the United States for indulging in criminals, and Liu Ziran's wife Aote Hua also published an article "I Cry to Society" in a newspaper to appeal to the public. At 10 a.m. that day, he held a placard in Chinese and English that read "The murderer is not guilty? I protest! I accuse!" The protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Taiwan attracted many people to watch. At 12 noon, a reporter from China Broadcasting Corporation went to the scene to interview Ooltawa. Her cry broadcast through the radio attracted more people to gather at the U.S. Embassy from all directions.

At around 1 p.m., about 2,000 people gathered in front of the embassy. At that time, someone in the crowd shouted, "Renault has left on a plane!" The atmosphere began to boil. At first, someone tried to climb over the embassy wall, and then the angry crowd threw stones, bricks and sticks into the embassy. At around two o'clock, more and more people gathered at the scene, and the military police present were unable to maintain order. Hundreds of people used various methods to enter the embassy and began to destroy cars, doors, windows, furniture, filing cabinets and other items. There were litter everywhere inside and outside the embassy. There were documents, furniture wreckage, etc. on the ground, and several young people rushed to the place where the American flag was erected, tearing down the Stars and Stripes and destroying them. The atmosphere at the scene was extremely high.

At around 3:15, Taiwan Provincial Police Commissioner Le Gan arrived at the scene of the incident, but he did not take any further action to prevent the crowd from destroying the U.S. Embassy. It continues in full swing. At the same time, the US documents also allege that an instructor from Chenggong Middle School was seen leading about 50 students from the school, wearing uniforms (someone said they were wearing civilian clothes) and wearing National Salvation Corps armbands to the scene to help out, while a group of "people with... People from the "Organization" distributed NT$10 bills at the scene and instigated the masses to attack the embassy. At around 4:20, the crowd discovered the American diplomats hiding in the basement of the embassy. It was said that the crowd had "violated" them, but later they all left the embassy safely under police protection.

At 5 p.m., Provincial Police Chief Le Gan announced the entry of martial law and immediately cordoned off the riot scene. However, an hour later, commotion broke out again. At 7:40, the crowd broke through the police cordon. They broke into the embassy again and completely destroyed it. Some of them even took out tools to pry open the embassy's safe and took out a large number of confidential files. Later, the U.S. Ambassador to China Lan Qin rushed back to Taipei from Hong Kong. Accompanied by my country's Foreign Minister Ye Gongchao, he arrived at the embassy and found that the files were scattered all over the floor. However, he was unable to review them in time because he was attacked by the crowd and left first. At the same time, the U.S. Information Office located in front of Zhongshan Hall was also attacked by dozens of people, and police cars and fire trucks at nearby police stations were also set on fire.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the military intervened and declared a state of emergency, and implemented a curfew at nine o'clock. At eleven o'clock, a large number of Taipei City garrison troops went to the scene of the incident to carry out eviction and suppression operations. The riot lasted for about ten hours before it was subdued, but martial law remained in effect.

At 6 a.m. on May 25, the US military advisory team called the US Department of Defense and stated that there was evidence that the entire incident was a "premeditated arrangement"; and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) intelligence also It pointed out that the day before the incident, many foreign Catholic clergy received mysterious phone calls, warning them not to go out the next day and to avoid the area of ??the U.S. Embassy even if they had to. On the same day, the furious U.S. Ambassador Lan Qin made the strongest protest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to apologizing on behalf of the government, Foreign Minister Ye Gongchao agreed to compensate for all losses. Dong Xianguang, my country's ambassador to the United States, also submitted a formal apology note to the U.S. State Department.

However, the pursuit of responsibility is not over yet. On May 26, the furious Lan Qin ignored diplomatic etiquette and went to the official residence in Shilin to "question" President Chiang Kai-shek as to why the government failed to dispatch the army and police as soon as possible, allowing the U.S. Embassy to fall into the hands of the "mob" for several hours. How long? Is it because the person who carried out the attack was influential enough to prevent the police from taking action? President Chiang denied Lan Qin's "questioning".

However, the United States still firmly believes that the high-level officials behind the incident were instigated or supported, and these high-level officials were pointed at President Chiang Kai-shek's eldest son, Chiang Ching-kuo. On May 27, CIA Director Ellen Dulles pointed out at the U.S. National Security Council that the mass attack on the U.S. Embassy in Taiwan was a well-planned action. Liu Ziran's widow had official support behind it, and the Taiwan government did not The active defense of the embassy caused the emergency response plan that the United States would adopt when Taiwan faced certain specific situations to be lost in the chaos. Dulles emphasized that according to what senior KMT officials revealed to him, this matter was the work of Chiang Ching-kuo. Later, in mid-September, J. Richards, the special assistant to the US President, was sent to Taiwan to investigate the matter. He told President Chiang Kai-shek face to face that there were widespread rumors in the United States that the National Salvation Corps commanded by Chiang Ching-kuo was inciting the masses to destroy the US Embassy. However, President Chiang still refused to answer this statement.

However, in order to calm the turmoil and give the United States an "explanation", President Chiang later dismissed Taipei Guard Commander Huang Zhenwu, Gendarmerie Commander Liu Wei, and Taiwan Provincial Police Commissioner Le Gan from their posts, and together with Lianhe Daily reporter Lin Zhenting was detained together in Green Island. Executive President Yu Hongjun led the cabinet to resign (receiving condolences), and Chiang Ching-kuo was transferred to the chairmanship of the Employment Guidance Committee for Retired Officers and Soldiers of the National Army, leading the veterans to build the east-west highway. Six years later, he became a political affairs councilor of the Executive Yuan, and After visiting the United States, the US government's resentment towards Chiang Ching-kuo caused by the "Liu Ziran Incident" was resolved.

However, this incident, described by the so-called left-wingers as "anti-American and anti-violent", has planted a strong sense of nationalism in the hearts of the Taiwanese people. It relies on the support of the United States, but to a certain extent, there is an invisible line between Taiwan and the United States, which separates two different national emotions, different ways of living, and different historical environments, which is difficult to eliminate. (Zheng Yiying)