{"id":2133,"date":"2026-08-02T18:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T10:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/?p=2133"},"modified":"2026-10-18T16:08:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T08:08:44","slug":"red-20260802","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/red-20260802\/","title":{"rendered":"The Silence of September 20"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2133\" class=\"elementor elementor-2133\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6d1281c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"6d1281c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a030a92 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a030a92\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>\u00a0<\/p><p><em>\u201cOnly the sound of footsteps could be heard in the air.\u201d \u2014 The Commander\u2019s Confessions, p. 38<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-02498e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"02498e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>It was late at night. A column of more than ten thousand people walked from Taipei Main Station back to the front of the Presidential Office Building. Headquarters had issued a single instruction: silence.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>And so, along the entire route, ten thousand people walked with no slogans, no songs, no conversation. Only footsteps.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>This was not a mood; it was a system.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>The Red Shirts had no party discipline, no salaries, no means of coercion whatsoever. Their only instrument of discipline was an oath. Every day, every hour, the deputy commander led the entire crowd in reciting the peace oath of \u201cpeace and non-violence,\u201d followed by three minutes of silence. However many tens of thousands were present, all fell silent. For more than three months, day after day, it was the same.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Shih Ming Te later said the oath worked like a spell, shaping the soul of the entire movement.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>When he lectured abroad, the question he was asked most often was: How did you do it? Was there ever a precedent for so many people staying so long in front of a presidential office without shedding a drop of blood? He thought about it for a long time and could find only one analogy \u2014 the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Only faith of that intensity could bring so many people together without conflict.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>The contrast is stark. In mass movements around the world, three to five thousand people are enough for clashes and shouting matches with the police; with ten thousand, the gasoline bombs, rocks, and bottles start flying. In Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, France, Germany, Italy, India, and the United States, this is commonplace. Yet a million Red Shirts, their hearts full of anger, resentment, and hatred, never threw a single tile or brick from beginning to end.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>How many people around the world sat before their televisions then, holding their breath for the moment the crowd would storm the Presidential Office. That moment never came.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Passion is easy; restraint is hard. Silence was never the absence of strength. Quite the opposite: the road those ten thousand people walked without a sound was a display of strength. They had the power to do something else, and they chose not to.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-842916a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"842916a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba24311 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ba24311\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/4-2_DSC_0915-rs62ozzeagw72gbtaxt6qxgmhpxfmwydt1m2tk26ju.jpg\" title=\"4-2_DSC_0915\" alt=\"4-2_DSC_0915\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0182463 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0182463\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1342\" height=\"869\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4-1.jpg?ver=1787281565\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2168\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4-1.jpg 1342w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4-1-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4-1-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4-1-768x497.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1342px) 100vw, 1342px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75155e8 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget-laptop__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"75155e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\">An unarmed army: the power of silent discipline.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5030850 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5030850\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Source: Shih Ming Te, <em>The Commander\u2019s Confessions<\/em>, 2009, pp. 38\u201339, 70\u201371, 112\u2013113.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5279d98 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5279d98\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7952631 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"7952631\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb099f8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bb099f8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e5b603 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3e5b603\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/\u7e3d\u6307\u63ee\u7684\u544a\u767d\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/07-vindication.jpg?ver=1787202887\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-1496\" alt=\"Book cover showing a smiling man with sunglasses in a black-and-white photo, red spine with vertical Chinese text, and the title &apos;\u7e3d\u6307\u63ee\u7684\u544a\u767d&apos; with &apos;VINDICATION&apos; on the foreground.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/07-vindication.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/07-vindication-281x300.jpg 281w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/07-vindication-768x819.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3cb44fb elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3cb44fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Want to learn more about the Red Shirt Movement and the innermost confessions of its commander-in-chief, Shih Ming Te?<\/p><p><a href=\"\/en\/\/the-commanders-confessions\/\">Click here to read more about <em>The Commander\u2019s Confessions<\/em> and get your copy.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-894709d elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"894709d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bb3316c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bb3316c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The primary sources of the Red Shirt Movement \u2014 decision records, the original oath, images, and financial records \u2014 are being preserved and catalogued by the Shih Ming Te Foundation. These materials are an important foundation for the study of Taiwan\u2019s democratic transition, and the core of the Foundation\u2019s archival work.<\/p><p>The Shih Ming Te Foundation needs your support.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was late at night. A column of more than ten thousand people walked from Taipei Main Station back to the front of the Presidential Office Building. Headquarters had issued a single instruction: silence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"post_folder":[19],"class_list":["post-2133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-23"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2133"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2997,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2133\/revisions\/2997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2133"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=2133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}