Before sentencing him, the guards punched him, forced him to drink his own blood, and hung him upside down when they poured salt water on his face, he said.
Chin, of Malaysian descent, came to Taiwan in 1971 to study at the university, but was caught unawares by the island's secret police. He doesn't know why.
They accused him of bombing a US government office in Taiwan years ago and of acting as a communist spy to overthrow the Taipei government. According to Chin, there was no evidence, so the secret police tortured him until he confessed to the crime and sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
"They treated us like animals and did not respect our dignity," said Chin, now 72. "They wanted me to admit that the explosion was caused by me."
According to Taiwanese government estimates, China was among the 200,000 people taken prisoner during the four-decade crackdown on political dissent imposed by an authoritarian regime between 1948 and 1986, known as Taiwan's "white terror." Both political activists and apolitical people like China were caught in the crackdown.
Until the repeal of martial law in 1987, incidents of "white terrorism" were considered a taboo subject.
Since 1995, "white terror" has been commemorated every year on 28 February, the date on which the government violently suppressed a 1947 uprising in the capital, Taipei, which is considered the beginning of a crackdown. The date is also shortened to its popular name – 228 events.
The Taiwanese government estimates that between 18,000 and 28,000 died during the uprising, and another 10,000 died over the next four decades.
As Taiwan marks the 75th anniversary of the event, interest in the island's painful journey to democracy is growing – as are fears that it could be snatched away.
Experts warn that Beijing may take note of Russia's invasion of Ukraine for similar actions against Taiwan. Tensions between mainland China and Taiwan have risen sharply in recent years – with Beijing claiming self-governing Taiwan as part of its territory and refusing to use military force.
Activists and observers say the period of "white terror" only highlights how difficult it was to win democracy on the island – and how much Taiwan could lose.
Long struggle for independence
Taiwan, an island off the southeast coast of mainland China and home to 24 million people, has a long history of being ruled by foreign powers.
For five decades, Taiwan was under the control of the Japanese colonial rulers. But in 1945, after Japan's defeat in World War II, the island was ceded to the then-ruling Nationalist Party of China – or Kuomintang.
Less than two years later, growing tensions between mainland Taiwanese and their rulers over mainland China erupted in 228 cases, said Wu Ji-min, a professor of political sociology at Taiwan's Academia Sinika.
On February 27, 1947, Taipei police hit a banned cigarette seller in the head while confiscating his belongings. In order to protect him, the police shot him and killed one of them.
The death of the spectator sparked protests that sometimes escalated into violent riots, with protesters spreading their allegations to include rising inflation, corruption and conflicts between local and Chinese officials.
Faced with a civil war defeat on mainland China, Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek returned to Taiwan in 1949 and imposed martial law that lasted 38 years – one of the longest martial laws in the world.
Despite this, the leaders and workers continued to fight for democracy.
In December 1979, pro-democracy activist Annette Lu stood in front of a crowd of about 80,000 people at a human rights parade in Kaohsiung.
He did not plan to speak, but criticized the Kuomintang government for denying the people of Taiwan freedom, saying the crowd was silent. Some had tears in their eyes, he said.
Suddenly, he saw tear gas being fired at the military and police crowd. He was arrested along with other activist leaders and sentenced to 12 years in prison for treason, at which point he said he wrote a novel on toilet paper. He was finally released after five and a half years.
In 1987, martial law was repealed, and only in 1996 was Taiwan's first direct presidential election held. In Taiwan's second presidential election, Lu – once imprisoned for her political beliefs – became the island's first female vice president.
"Once I joined the opposition movement, I knew I would have to go to jail sooner or later," he added. "I told the crowd that we must fight together … The message put me in prison, but a lot of people were inspired by me."
Identity of Taiwan
Although the "white terror" occurred decades ago, this period of history is predominant in Taiwan.
"Among the younger generation, there has been a growing awareness in recent years about the history of white terrorism and our democratization," said Wu, a professor of sociology. "The new creation of literature and art is proof that more people are paying attention."
Earlier this month, Taiwanese indie rock band Surrey Youth invited a victim to appear in a music video filmed at a former detention center. In 2019, the Taiwanese horror film "Detention", set during the "White Terror" period, hit the box office and won numerous awards at Taipei's Golden Horse Awards – often referred to as the "Chinese Oscar".
And in 2018, President Tsai Ying-wen – the second Taiwanese president not only associated with the Kuomintang – formed an interim judicial committee to review the injustices committed during his authoritarian era. The committee formally released former detainees, such as Chin and Lu, and offered compensation.
According to Ur, the history of political repression has played an important role in creating a unique identity among the people of Taiwan. "Taiwan now has a shared history and identity. For many, human rights and democracy are very important," he said.
Discussions about the "white terror" period – and the importance of democracy – have increased in recent years as it has put military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan to achieve the long-term goal of "reunification" with Beijing Island. China's ruling Communist Party sees Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, although it has never controlled it.
Some politicians and analysts have expressed concern that Beijing may be watching Russia's invasion of Ukraine, keeping an eye on Taiwan.
Last week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said "echoes" of what was happening in Ukraine would be "heard in Taiwan", while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also said "others are watching" Western response to Russia "halfway" but "one world away from Europe."
For its part, China claims that Taiwan is not Ukraine, but claims that the island belongs to China "since ancient times."
"China's sovereignty and territory have never been and never will be divided. This is the stability of the Taiwan question," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said when asked about the comparison between Taiwan and Ukraine last week.
Although experts point to differences between the geopolitical situation in Ukraine and Taiwan, island leaders have kept their armies on "high-level vigilance."
Last year, China sent hundreds of warplanes into the air southwest of the island, prompting the island to issue radio alerts and install air defense missile systems to monitor activity. Taiwan's defense minister, retired General Chiu Kuo-cheng, has made a terrible prediction – by 2025, China will be able to launch a "full-scale" attack on Taiwan.
Beijing has previously criticized the Taiwanese government for using the 228 incident as a tool to promote the island's secession from mainland China.
"If China invades or occupies Taiwan in the near future, I am very worried that the 228 tragedy will happen again," Wu said.
"Because of the tragedy of the past, many are afraid to re-establish political relations with China," he said. "For the people of Taiwan, many do not want this tragedy to happen again. And that is why many do not want to see Taiwan fall back into foreign hands."
Past as a precaution
Victims of "white terror" continue to process what happened to them – but they hope their experiences will serve as a lesson to the younger generation.
Chin, who became a Taiwanese citizen after his imprisonment, now spends time reminding the younger generation of Taiwan's painful history by offering a guided tour of a memorial park.
"We didn't want this to happen to anyone else," he said.
Another white supremacist, Chen Wu-jen, was jailed for two years from 1969 when he wrote a statement opposing the ruling Kuomintang behind a qualification test during his military service. He was 20 years old.
Chen, now 73, became an artist. Last year, he was the first victim of "white terror" to hold an exhibition at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, a building in memory of the leader who once persecuted him. The exhibition includes his oil paintings and wood carvings showing what it was like to be tortured, and an area that invites visitors to reflect on how Taiwan's past mistakes should be corrected and transitional justice achieved.
He acknowledged that the sacrifices made by many for democracy were important for the younger generation. "The freedom we enjoy today has not fallen from the sky, and it came because so many people have worked hard for it," he added.
Lu said this message is especially important for present-day Taiwan.
"We need to emphasize our principles – democracy, freedom and dignity – which our people want," said Lu, now 77.
"Our future is always determined by outsiders," he said. "We really want to be ourselves."
