Disillusionment with KMT Rule

After the end of World War II, many Taiwanese, including Thomas Liao and his brother Joshua, initially welcomed the return of Chinese rule under the Kuomintang (KMT), believing it would lead to a prosperous future. However, between 1945 and 1947, they experienced a cruel awakening as they witnessed the KMT treating Taiwanese citizens as second-class subjects, leading to widespread disillusionment. The KMT's plundering of Taiwan's resources and the mismanagement that led to food shortages and inflation created growing resentment among the Taiwanese people. This period of discontent culminated in the February 28 incident in 1947, which marked the beginning of violent government crackdowns against dissenters and deepened their conviction for the need for self-rule in Taiwan.