Draft:Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government



Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government is a political organization engaged in the Taiwan independence movement，It was established in 1956 in Tokyo, Japan, under the leadership of Thomas Liao, a Taiwanese PhD graduate from the United States ，dissolved in 1977. From the mid-1950 to the early 1960, it was one of the major overseas organizations in the Taiwan independence movement.

Establish


After the Formosan League for Reemancipation, in February 1950, Thomas Liao(廖文毅) smuggled himself into Japan via the Philippines. He was immediately arrested by the Allied Occupation Forces in Japan for "illegal entry and engaging in unlawful political activities." While in prison, Thomas Liao(廖文毅) joined forces with Taiwanese groups in Japan, meeting with Huang Nanpeng, Chen Zhemin, Lin Chunchang, and others to reorganize the Formosan League for Reemancipation. On May 17 of the same year, the 「Formosan Democratic Independence Party」（FDIP）was formed at the Kanda YMCA in Tokyo. It claimed to have 1,400 members and became the center of the Taiwan independence movement in Japan at that time. In 1955, Thomas Liao(廖文毅) himself attended the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia, as the chairman of the Formosan Democratic Independence Party.

Subsequently, in order to draw public attention, Taiwanese independence activists deemed it necessary to establish an exile organization consisting of a provisional parliament or provisional government, to establish a representative organization for Taiwan independence movement.1 September 1955，「The Provisional National Assembly (Republic of Taiwan)」was formally established, with Thomas Liao(廖文毅) elected as Honorary Chairman, Wu Zhennan(吳振南) as Chairman,, and Zheng Wanfu(鄭萬福) as Vice Chairman. On November 27, The Provisional National Assembly (Republic of Taiwan) passed the 〈The Temporary Government Organization Treaty of the Republic of Taiwan〉. In accordance with this treaty, the Taiwan Provisional National Assembly was renamed the The Provisional National Assembly (Republic of Taiwan) on January 15, 1956. In 1956, Thomas Liao(廖文毅) and others, in collaboration with Chien Wen-chieh(簡文介) Formosan Democratic Independence Party, announced the formal establishment of the Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government on 9th Anniversary of the February 28 Incident, in Tokyo, Japan.At the founding assembly, Thomas Liao was elected as President, Wu Zhennan(吳振南) as Vice President, and Chien Wen-chieh(簡文介) as Secretary-General of the government. In addition to the heads of various government departments, the Taiwan Republic Provisional National Assembly was also organized, with Guo Taicheng(郭泰成) serving as its Chairman.

The Provisional Government of the Republic of Taiwan demands the realization of Taiwan independence under the principle of national self-determination. Many of its members are Taiwanese political participants who fled to Japan after the war, as well as businessmen and students studying abroad. On August 1 of the same year, 〈The Provisional Constitution of the Republic of Taiwan〉.In his own work《Taiwan Nationalism》Thomas Liao(廖文毅) proposed that the Republic of Taiwan represents the third nation-building movement of the Taiwanese people, following the Kingdom of Tungning and Republic of Formosa.

Overseas Activities
《The Taiwan Minpao (臺灣民報)》was founded in 1953 with Liu Namming(劉吶明) as its editor-in-chief. After the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Taiwan, it became the official government newspaper. While Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government did not receive recognition from any country, it garnered support from many overseas Taiwanese. Several countries also welcomed its leaders as representatives of an exile government.. On August 31, 1957, the Prime Minister of Malaya (Federation of Malaya), Tunku Abdul Rahman, invited Thomas Liao(廖文毅) to attend the independence celebration in the capacity of 'President of the Republic of Taiwan Provisional Government. 其中陳智雄更曾擔任台灣共和國臨時政府東南亞巡迴大使. Many Taiwanese residing in Japan also joined the Provisional Government of the Republic of Taiwan.

Taiwan Domestic Activities
In 1948, influenced by Thomas Liao(廖文毅), Liao Shih-hao(廖史豪) and Huang Chi-nan(黃紀男) returned from British Hong Kong to Taiwan and began to recruit like-minded individuals on the island, spreading awareness of Taiwan independence movement. Within the organization inside Taiwan, Huang Chi-nan(黃紀男), Liao Shih-hao(廖史豪), and Chung Chien-shun(鍾謙順) were responsible for activities in the Taipei area；Joseph Kao(偕約瑟) was responsible for Keelung; Wen Yen-wen(溫炎煋) was responsible of the Central Taiwan.Hsu Chao-ching(許朝卿) was in the Tainan and Chiayi regions. Hsu Chien-hsiung(許劍雄) in the Kaohsiung area.

Result
However, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Taiwan faced financial difficulties and internal divisions. Additionally, the base of the overseas Taiwan independence movement gradually shifted from Japan to The United States，Furthermore, internal disputes within the Provisional Government of the Republic of Taiwan have weakened its appeal, leading to a decline in its influence. May 1965, In May 1965, after Thomas Liao(廖文毅) returned to Taiwan and "surrendered" to the Government of the Republic of China, Guo Taicheng(郭泰成) succeeded as the President, with Lin Taiyuan(林台元) serving as the Vice President.

In October 1966, the next Vice President, Wu Zhennan(吳振南), returned to Taiwan and "surrendered" to the Government of the Republic of China.

On October 8, 1976, after Guo Taicheng(郭泰成) passed away due to illness, Lin Taiyuan succeeded as the President. Three months later, on January 7, 1977, Lin Taiyuan(林台元) also passed away, leading to the eventual dissolution of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Taiwan.

Previous Presidents

 * Thomas Liao(廖文毅)：February 28, 1956 - May 14, 1965
 * Guo Taicheng(郭泰成)：July 15, 1965 - October 8, 1976
 * Lin Taiyuan(林台元)：October 8, 1976 - January 7, 1977