Research On The Social Movements Underlying The Political Transition In Taiwan Province

The "political transition" in Taiwan province refers to the establishment of the so-called "democratic politics", which is from the beginning of the Kuomintang (KMT)’s "political reform" in 1986 to the realization of the direct "presidential election" in 1996. In fact, it is more precise to count the year of "2000" as the dividing line, because the ruling party alternated in 2000 for the first time. Although the so-called "democratic politics" has been established, the political democratization process in Taiwan has just begun. Moreover, it is also very urgent to improve the quality of the "democracy" in Taiwan.Since the start of Taiwan’s political transition, the social movements and political democratization process have been associated all the time. The Kuomintang (KMT), realized the so-called "President" election in 1996, and the ruling party alternation in 2000 for the first time, which marks the fulfillment of transformation of democratic politics in Taiwan. Social movements, however, did not disappear, such as the anti-Chen campaign launched by Shih Ming-teh in 2006, anti-construction of 4th nuclear power plant, the White Shirt Army (a mass protest following the death of army conscript Hung Chung-Chu) and the huge student movement named as "Sunflower" in 2014. The social movements broke out in Taiwan one after another in recent years.The theme of the social movement has been fundamentally changed since the transition of democratic politics in Taiwan, particularly since Ma Ying-jeou re-election in 2008. The Taiwanese requirements are no longer limited to the general income or the political issues such as blue-green confrontation, unification-independence and so on, but pay more attention to the issues of the legitimacy of the ruling power, the justice of resources distribution and the justice of the community as a whole. The new social movement which gradually occupies the mainstream status will refract Taiwanese democracy pulsation. However, the "Sunflower" Movement broken out in 2014, is seemed to be a kind of special form of movement in the process of democratization in Taiwan. The Sunflower Movement can be counted as the new social movement in the form, but the traditional social movement in the theme to some extent, which highlights the instability and complexity of Taiwanese democratic politics. At the same time, many problems appeared during the "sunflower" movement have also provoked reflective thoughts about the current situation of the Taiwan’s politics.