高砂義勇隊
In 1974, there was a Taiwanese aboriginal found in the jungle of Morotai, Indonesia yelling “Japan did not lose!” He was found wearing the Imperial Japanese military uniform with firearm and military supplies next to him. His name was 史尼育唔, his indigenous name, 中村輝夫, his Japanese name, or 李光輝, his Chinese name. He had been living in the jungle for about 30 years waiting to be rescued. He was a forgotten member of 高砂義勇隊 from the WW2.
高砂義勇隊 was the unit of Taiwanese indigenous volunteers recruited by the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbour lifted the Pacific War and the Japanese realised they needed forces that were familiar with tropical jungles; hence the recruitment of the Taiwanese aboriginals.
The appear of 中村輝夫 revealed a constant wound among Taiwanese. From being the second-class citizen of Japanese Taiwan (1895-1945), used as a rebellious base of the previous Chinese regime (1949-early 90s), to facing the current fear from the Chinese Communist, what is the true identity of the Taiwanese?
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Submitted by Paula Chang
Edited by Paula Chang