Taiwan Garrison Command

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Taiwan Garrison Command
Active	May, 1958 - August 1, 1992
Country	Republic of China
Branch	Ministry of National Defense
Type	Secret police / state Security body
Role	Anti-government elements suppression
Part of	Ministry of National Defense
Garrison/HQ	Taipei City
Nickname	Ching-tsung (警總)
Commanders
Notable commanders	zh:彭孟緝,zh:陳守山,zh:周仲南

The Taiwan Garrison Command (traditional Chinese: zh:台灣警備總司令部) was a secret police/state security body which existed under the Republic of China military on Taiwan. The agency was established at the end of World War II, and operated throughout the Cold War. It was disbanded three years after the lifting of martial law on August 1, 1992. While operational, the agency was responsible for suppressing activities viewed as promoting democracy and Taiwan independence.

[edit] History

The Taiwan Provincial Garrison Command (台灣省警備總司令部) was established in September 1945 at Chongqing, with Chen Yi as its first commanding general. Its major responsibilities included the repatriation of all Japanese nationals in Taiwan, transfer of authority over Taiwan to the Republic of China government, and maintenance of law and order. The agency was renamed as the All-Taiwan Provincial Garrison Command (台灣全省警備總司令部) and relocated to Taipei, Taiwan in 1947. It was further split into Southeast Military Office (東南軍政長官公署) and Taiwan Provincial Security Command (台灣省保安司令部) in May 1949. The Southeast Military Office was directly responsible for the systemic killing of thousands of Taiwanese social elites, as part of what became known as the 228 Incident.

In 1958, the Republic of China government underwent a series of restructuring, and Taiwan Provincial Security Command was merged with Taiwan Provincial Civil Defense Command (台灣省民防司令部), Taiwan Defense Command (台灣防衛總司令部), and Taipei Garrison Command (台北衛戌總司令部) and renamed Taiwan Garrison Command.

The organization was transformed and restructured into the Coast Guard Administration on August 1, 1992. The move effectively disbanded the Taiwan Garrison Command, under quiet orders from then President Lee Teng-hui.

• Coastal patrol duties were assumed by the Coastal Guard Command; and were later passed to the newly reformed Coast Guard Administration.
• Subordinate units for military reserve mobilization were regrouped into Military Reserve District Command, and later, the Reserve Command.
• Electronic intelligence units for telephone-wire-tapping and radio surveillance were assigned to the Military Intelligence Bureau.
• Functions for imprisoning political activists and re-educating gangsters without trial were terminated. All prison facilities were transferred to either the Military Police Command, or to the Culture Establishment Commission for memorial purposes.
• The defense of Taipei City and riot control were taken over by the Military Police Command and the National Police Agency.
• The responsibility for censoring questionable publications went to the Government Information Office; such functions were later terminated after the abolishment of publication laws.

[edit] Involvement

Although a division under the military, TGC actually functioned as a secret police organization. It was actively involved in suppression of pro-democracy activists, and was rumored to have been involved in many politically motivated assassinations/murders, such as the murder of Lin Yi-hsiung's family and the murder of Dr. Chen Wen-cheng.

[edit] See also

• 228 Incident
• Kaohsiung Incident
• Lin Yi-hsiung
• White terror