{"id":2311,"date":"2026-08-09T16:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T08:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/?p=2311"},"modified":"2026-10-18T16:03:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T08:03:54","slug":"red-20260809","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/red-20260809\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Were You Then?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"2311\" class=\"elementor elementor-2311\" 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>\u201cTen years, twenty years from now, people will ask: \u2018Where were you then?\u2019\u201d \u2014 The Commander\u2019s Confessions, pp. 112\u2013113<\/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>In 2008, in court, Shih Ming Te made a prediction.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>He said that the Red Shirt Movement had drawn in Chinese-speaking people around the world, and that ten or twenty years later, people would ask one another: Where were you then?<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Then he recited the possible answers himself: I made the hundred-dollar pledge! I was on Ketagalan Boulevard for the 9\/9 sit-in! I stood in the rain for the 9\/15 candlelight siege! I watched the live news every day! I followed every development online every day!<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>What most mass movements leave to posterity is a record of success and failure: who stepped down, who came to power, which bill was passed in which year. That is how history books are written.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>What the Red Shirts left behind was something else \u2014 an identity.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>From Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong to mainland China, Europe, and North America, Chinese-speaking communities were deeply engaged for those three months and more. Most never set foot on Ketagalan Boulevard, but they kept watch at their screens every day. Shared memory is history, and in a society torn apart by Blue and Green, this memory was rare in belonging to neither side.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>In the years after the movement ended, Shih Ming Te said, strangers often stopped him in the street. They all said the same thing: Commander, I am a Red Shirt. He wrote that their pride was plain to see.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Note the tense of that sentence. Not \u201cI took part in the Red Shirt Movement,\u201d but \u201cI am a Red Shirt.\u201d A movement that had ended had become part of who a person is now.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>In 2026, the time he foretold has arrived.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p1\">Where were you then? Now the question can be asked. And everyone who can still answer it is living proof that this history is still alive.<\/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-f0dc754 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f0dc754\" 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=\"984\" height=\"1370\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2313\" alt=\"Woman in a red jacket singing into a microphone on a stage with a large black-and-white fist illustration as backdrop.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-2.jpg 984w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-2-215x300.jpg 215w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-2-735x1024.jpg 735w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-2-768x1069.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 984px) 100vw, 984px\" \/>\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<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d9ae0ed e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d9ae0ed\" 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-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\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2312\" alt=\"Massive crowd of people in red shirts filling a city street at a rally or parade, with flags visible among the sea of attendees.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-1-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/11-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\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-443a579 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"443a579\" 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\">October 10, 2006, the Nationwide Siege.<\/p>\t\t\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-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. 112\u2013113, 56\u201357. The quotation is from \u201cOn the Brink of Civil War: Final Statement at the Red Shirt Trial.\u201d<\/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>If you were a Red Shirt, or if your family still has objects, photographs, or giro receipts from that time, the Shih Ming Te Foundation is collecting materials on the Red Shirt Movement from the public. Twenty years on, these scattered items are the hardest part of the record to rebuild.<\/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>What most mass movements leave to posterity is a record of success and failure: who stepped down, who came to power, which bill was passed in which year. That is how history books are written. What the Red Shirts left behind was something else \u2014 an identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2312,"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-2311","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\/2311","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=2311"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2988,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2311\/revisions\/2988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2311"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shihmingte.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=2311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}