Green Terror (Taiwan)

"Green Terror" (Chinese: 綠色恐怖; pinyin: Lǜsè Kǒngbù; Wade–Giles: Lü⁴sê⁴ Kʻung³pu⁴) is a political term used to characterize and criticize the "authoritarian-like" actions of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) or the pan-Green camp. It is used by the DPP's opponents in Taiwan (mainly the pan-Blue camp and the TPP), but is also sometimes used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).^[1][a] The term is a combination the DPP's party color and "White Terror", a reference to political repression under the Kuomintang's rule by martial law.^[3]

Examples

Since 2014, the Ma Ying-jeou government has attempted to reduce Taiwanization and strengthen the identity of the 'Republic of China' in high school history subjects. This has intensified into a political debate, with criticism from pan-Green camps, including the DPP, which values the 'Taiwanese' identity over the identity of the 'Republic of China'. As for the DPP's view that the deletion of the "White Terror" from the new syllabus was a form of de-Taiwanization, Lin Ming-cheng [zh], a politician with the Chinese ultra-nationalist New Party, said that the DPP's approach was the "Green Terror".^[4]

Since 2025, as the mayors Cheng Wen-tsan (DPP), Ann Kao (TPP), and Ko Wen-je (2024 presidential candidate for the TPP) were sequentially arrested, Ko Wen-je, in an interview on July 30, 2024, compared Lai Ching-te to Hitler: "If Lai Ching-te grows a small mustache, he will look increasingly like Hitler."^[5] The chairman of the TPP, Huang Kuo-chang, said today that the grandfather of Ko Wen-je, walked through the era of White Terror, and now Ko is caught up in another kind of Green Terror, and Ko's family is caught up in the great pain.^[6]

Support for far-right anti-communist forces abroad

See also: Conservatism in Japan, Conservatism in South Korea, and Far-right politics

Pan-Green camp is politically 'progressive' within Taiwan, but their pro-independence and anti-PRC stance has created a friendly atmosphere with the anti-communist or anti-Chinese far-right ultra-conservative in Japan and South Korea.^[3][7][8] Main reason why the pan-Green camp favors far-right politics over liberals in Japan and South Korea:

• Conservative Japanese nationalists who support the revision of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, rather than Japan's liberals/progressives who oppose to the constitutional revision and adhere to defensivism, are more likely to be helpful in a potential Sino-Taiwanese war (likely to break out due to the push for Taiwan independence).^[8]
• South Korean conservatives support Taiwan in the China-Taiwan conflict as an extension of pro-Americanism, while South Korean liberals are relatively indifferent to Taiwan.^[9] Also, South Korean liberals favour a balanced diplomacy between the US and China more than strict pro-US/anti-PRC, which is closer to the KMT than the DPP in Taiwanese politics.^[10][11]

When the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis (caused by Yoon Suk Yeol, the then far-right South Korea's president) broke out, the DPP Legislative Caucus posted an article on Threads, claiming that the declaration of martial law was a legitimate effort to protect free constitutional democracy in South Korea and criticizing Taiwanese opposition parties for obstructing national security proposals, allegedly "unconstitutionally expand[ing]" their powers, and reducing the defense budget.^[12][13] While the post was deleted shortly afterwards, it sparked criticism from major opposition parties, including the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), who interpreted the post as a threat to take similar measures in Taiwan.^[12][14] This led to the DPP being criticized by South Korean netizens, and referred to as the "Green Terror" by critics.^{[3][15][16][b]}

Similar term

"Taluban" (Chinese: 塔綠班; pinyin: Tǎlǜbān; Wade–Giles: Tʻa³lü⁴pan¹) is a buzzword that emerged on Taiwan's online forum PTT in August 2021, combining the Islamic fundamentalist organization "Taliban" (Chinese: 塔利班; pinyin: Tǎlìbān; Wade–Giles: Tʻa³li⁴pan¹) and the DPP's party color (Chinese: 綠; pinyin: lǜ; Wade–Giles: lü⁴; lit. 'green'). It is mainly used for opposing camps other than the pan-Green camp, and is a term used to criticize the pan-Green or DPP and its supporters or the 1450 Internet army.^[19]

See also

• Anti-Infiltration Act, opponents of the act called it "Green Terror" or "Second White Terror".
• "Communist bandit", originally a Taiwanese anti-communist term often used during the [Kuomintang one-party dictatorship] White Terror, but today pro-independence supporters who are hawkish on the PRC are also used to denounce Kuomintang who is dovish on the PRC.
• Far-right politics#Taiwan (Republic of China)
• Liberal Hawk (United States)

Notes

1. Some media criticized the DPP's politics as quasi-fascist or far-right.^[2]
2. On Nov. 25, 2024, it was revealed that South Korea's Yoon government made a secret visit to Taiwan nine days before declaring martial law; according to a report by the Hankyoreh newspaper on July 24, 2025, "Since Military Intelligence Bureau has close ties to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Moon Sang-ho (문상호, Yoon government's intelligence commander) has asked for support for South Korea's martial law when he is in Taiwan." However, the Taiwanese government has denied these reports.^[17][18]