The Betrayal of Autonomy in 1924: Ko Hsien-jung Campaigns Against Taiwanese Self-Determination to Protect Monopolies

On July 3, 1924, Ko Hsien-jung (father of Ko Kuan-min) organized pro-Japanese elites in Taipei to hold the "Assembly of Influential Figures." They released a statement opposing the Taiwanese Parliament Petition Movement led by Lin Hsien-tang and Chiang Wei-shui. To protect his family's lucrative monopolies on salt and opium granted by the Japanese Governor-General, Ko Hsien-jung acted as a political pawn for the colonizers. He criticized the movement as "radical troublemaking by a minority" and urged authorities to crack down on anti-colonial efforts. This betrayal of his countrymen's democratic aspirations earned him the label of a traitor. Critics note that the Ko family's wealth has always been secured by suppressing local rights to please current rulers.