1945, the Republic of China took over Taiwan after Japan's defeat, and in 1947, the February 28th Incident broke out due to the failed administration of Kuomingtang (KMT). Two years later, KMT was defeated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the central government was exiled to Taiwan. To tackle internal and external crises and consolidate its authoritarian regime, the government promulgated the Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of the Communists Rebellion in 1948, then Martial Law the following year in Taiwan.

Statutes for the Detection and Eradication of Spies during the Period of Communist Rebellion, Statutes for the Punishment of Rebellion were imposed in succession. Those who violated the acts were arrested, interrogated, charged, tried, imprisoned, and even executed by intelligence agencies, causing many wrongful convictions. This four-decade period of repressive rule, 1949-1992, is known as the White Terror Period.

Regulations for Compensation for Improper Verdicts on Sedition and Communist Espionage Cases during the Martial Law Period Foundation statistics show that, up to March 8th, 2014, 10,067 applications for compensation had been received. Of these 7,965 were granted, 2,036 were rejected, and 64 needed only redressing of reputation. Being labeled as communist spies and Taiwan Independence activists was the most frequently used excuse by KMT to convict dissidents. It is believed that actual victims far exceed the number of families that have applied for compensation.

The White Terror Period scared the victims and their families and cast a profound impact on people being silent and apathetic towards political and social issues.

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