Originally known as Taiwan Province National Security New Life Correction Center Public Cemetery, also known as “The Thirteenth Squadron,” is now situated in Taitung County, Green Island Town’s National Human Rights Museum’s White Terror Memorial Park. This is where the political criminals, soldiers, and officers who passed away due to illness, suicide, and many more factors were buried between 1951 to 1986.
History
editOn April 17th, 1951, the Republic of China Taiwan Province National Security Council New Life Correction Center was moved from Taipei County, Neihu Town to Taitung County, Green Island Town’s Li-Ma River community. On May 17th, the New Life Correction Center started housing a huge amount of political criminals. At the time, criminal Peng Chu-Shiu, who of Hu-nan province origin, received his sentence due to the Navy American Fleet Incident, passed away on the 31st due to his pre-existing tuberculosis. He was then buried at a slope facing the ocean near Green Island’s Yanzidong. Initially, according to Peng Chu-Shiu’s “death certificate,” the public cemetery was anonymous, and the burial site was recorded as “Green Island Liu-Man River Public Cemetery.” Afterward, due to the island being remote from the main island, between 1950s’ to 1980s’, the ones who became victims, that was to say political criminals who passed away due to illness, suicide, tortures, and executions at the New Life Correction Center and Ministry of National Defense’s Green Island Discipline Prison, were mostly buried at this location.
The official term “Taiwan Province Security Council New Life Correction Center Public Cemetery” monument originated from 1952. The New Life Correction Center assigned its criminal who specialized in engineering design, and had sent Wang Yong-Fu, who was an expertise in cement application, alongside Wang Wen-Ching, Tseng Tian-Tsai, and more, to head to the upper stream of the Liu-Ma river to quarry sand and gravels, and to apply cement construction method to finish constructing the monument. When the New Life Correction Center was established, it initially only had 2 brigades and 7 squadrons. After the 1952 Battle of Nanri Island, the war prisoners were sent to the Center, which then allowed it to expand to having 3 brigades and 12 squadrons. Therefore, most of whom were buried at this location were political criminals, and together they were called “The Thirteenth Squadron.”
About the Cemetery
editThe remains of New Life Correction Center Public Cemetery is situated in Taitung County, Green Island Town, Gong-guan Village’s East 2nd land lot, which covers 19,196.54 square meters, and belongs to the Republic of China’s National Property Administration, Ministry of Finance. According to the 2014 inventory, there were 55 tombstones in the entire area, which included people who were buried between 1951 to 1986. To date, it is known that the deceased buried at this location includes Peng Chu-Shiu, Wang Yu-Chi, Wang Yi-Chou, Lee Fu-Xing, Liao Chi-Chuan, Chen A-Fu, Wu Fu-Gui, Lee Guo-An, Shin Shui-Po, Gao Han-Chiao, Huang Hsiang-He, Lee Yan-Kai, Lee Shiu-Shan, and 13 more tombs from political refugees. Among all, there were 8 tombs with people who held military status, which includes Lu Bi-Hua, Hsiao Chung-Liang, Chen Dao-Dong, Liu Chih-Hsue, Liu Yun-Chi, Chen Shen-Hsiang, Lee Gui-Yu, and Lee Meng-Sheng. Moreover, there were 18 people with incomplete background information, which includes Lee Jing-Huan, Yang Hsiao-Hua, Liu Yi-Jin, Wang Min-Ying, Huang Jin-Zhuen, Cheng Tsai-Te, Fan Ya-Ming, Chao Yu-Jiang, Zheng Jin-Lian, Hu Ching-Hua, Wang Jin-Chuan, Bao Yu-Cheng, Lin Fu-Luh, Tsai Guo-Song, Yang Kai-He, Chen Jin-Bao, Lin Wen-Fa, Fu Li-An, Chou Huan-Lun, Liu Bing-Shui, Chen Jin-Po, Zhang Fu-Zhong, Lee Nian-Zhong, Fan Dong-Ji, Tsai Yi-Hui, Chou Shi-Dong, Zhu Zheng-Pin, Wang Da-Zhu, and more. There were also 6 unidentified people as well.
At the cemetery, there are two other monuments, which are known as “New Life Correction Center President Zhou Wen-Bin Monument'' and “New Life Correction Center Vice-President Sun Lian-Quen Monument.” Zhou Wen-Bin had been inaugurated as the third New Life Correction Center President in March, 1957, and had passed away during his term on November 15th, 1959. His monument was constructed by Wang Yong-Fu, Wang Wen-Ching, and Tseng Tian-Tsai. It was originally established in Green Island Town’s Zhong-Liao Village on a hill near a lighthouse. Afterward, due to land resale and the Green Island town residents’ concerns about the monument potentially destroying an auspicious environment, it was therefore removed from the site. In 1995, due to the construction of a reservoir, the monument was moved to Gongguan village’s public cemetery. In 2011, due to feedback from local residents that the monument originally belonged to the military, it was therefore moved to the New Life Correction Public Cemetery’s current location.