Political Victims' Oral History Documentary｜Chao Ying-Kuei(趙英魁)｜Full Video(English Ver.)

In the 1950s 60s Taiwan, they were all caught up in the White Terror. Amidst the heavy-handed political persecution, they survived.
But the White Terror was more than sufferings and adversity, they said. It was also about the passion for the nation, the yearning for social justice, and the socialist ideals against any kind of oppressions among peoples.
This is their red, youthful days.
Chao, Ying-Kuei (1933-)
was born in the Pingyao County(平遙縣) of the Shanxi Province(山西省).
Chao Ying-kuei was originally named Dian kuei(殿魁). In 1946, he joined the National Army, serving at the 33rd army 71th division engineer company, which was under the control of Yan Hsi-shan(閻錫山). His military career thus unfolded.
A nationalist-communist civil war ensued. In 1948, the Liberation Army attacked Taiyuan(太原). Chao Ying-kuei was captured and changed to serve at the Chinese People's Liberation Army as a liaison officer. From 1948 to 1949, he fought together with the People's Liberation Army in Shanxi(山西), Xian(西安), and Sichuan's Chengdu(四川成都), and was given the opportunity to join the Communist Party of China after being awarded for meritorious service. He was then 15.
The Korean War(韓戰) erupted, Chao Ying-kuei, together with the Chinese People's Volunteers of the 180th Division, went to the Korean Peninsula to join the "War to Resist Aggression and Aid Korea(抗美援朝)" in 1951 March. In May, he was captured by the US military after head injury-caused unconsciousness. In January 1954, he was forced to be sent to Taiwan to become an "anti-communist righteous man(反共義士)" and assigned to work at the Army First Corps Command Engineer Corps.
In March 1955, anti-communist righteous men," including Chao Ying-kuei, Chang Long(張龍), Li Kuo-an(李國安), and Hsia Shih-ching(夏世清) were accused of sedition and arrested. Chang Long and Li Kuo-an were given death penalties, while Chao Ying-kuei and the other two were given life imprisonment sentences. After review, in 1958, Chang Long's death penalty was changed into 15-year imprisonment, and Li Kuo-an was sentenced to a 15-year imprisonment term. Chao Ying-kuo and the other two were given 5-year imprisonment term respectively. In 1959, Chao Ying-kuei was removed from the Military Prison to the "Green Island Freshmen Discipline Division(綠島新生訓導處)". He completed his imprisonment term in 1960, but was not released in the absence of a guarantor. He was then placed under custody at a government-run shelter, and was not released until a friend of a younger age bailed him out in 1965.
After being released from the shelter, he shifted from job to job due to constant police surveillance and harassment. He had the experiences of working at a chemistry factory and a Mongolian barbecue store, and running a small noodle stand. In 1978, he landed a job at the "Mandarin Oriental Hotel(中泰賓館)" until his retirement in 2002.