In East Asia, under dictatorial rule that was institutionalized through wartime laws, emergency laws and martial law, state-sponsored terrorism hit hard peoples.
In South Korea, there were many massacres perpetrated by the state from the "Cheju 4.3 Uprising" of 1948 to the "Kwangju Massacre" of 1980, claiming up to one million victims. Ten thousands were killed in Taiwan, under the massacres of the "2.28 Uprising" of 1946 and of the "white terrorism of the 1950s".
With the collapse of the Cold War, the crimes began to be brought to light and movements for reparation of the victims were emerged. In South Korea, the establishment of a law on compensation for victims related to "the Kwangju democratization movement" was a big breakthrough in the struggle against the Cold War/National Division-based ruling system.
Then in October 1999, AP released a massacre by U.S. troops during the Korean War of people of Nogeun-li. In December 1999, including a special law on the Cheju 4.3 Uprising, three laws to "bury the past" were concluded. In Taiwan, a "Compensation Act for Victims of 2.28" was established in 1995 and a law to compensate victims of the white terrorism of the 1950s was passed in 1998.
The reparation for victims of state sponsored terrorism in South Korea and Taiwan has been closely connected with demands for democratization and has been a driving force for its promotion. But the "red complex" still persists to this day. And there are a lot more cases of state-sponsored violence that have not been dealt with. Overcoming the legacy of the Cold War will be achieved through the movement for restoration of the victims' humanity, and pursuing the work of remedying the damage caused by state terrorism will lead to an age of peace and human rights in East Asia.
