After World War II Pe̍h-ōe-jī

a decree (1955) banning pe̍h-ōe-jī.

initially kuomintang government in taiwan had liberal attitude towards local dialects (i.e. non-mandarin varieties of chinese). national languages committee produced booklets outlining versions of bopomofo writing taiwanese tongue, these being intended newly arrived government officials outside taiwan local taiwanese. first government action against native languages came in 1953, when use of taiwanese or japanese instruction forbidden. next move suppress movement came in 1955, when use of poj proselytizing outlawed. @ point in time there 115,000 people literate in poj in taiwan, fujian, , southeast asia.

two years later, missionaries banned using romanized bibles, , use of native languages (i.e. taiwanese hakka, hakka, , non-sinitic formosan languages) in church work became illegal. ban on poj bibles overturned in 1959, churches encouraged use character bibles instead. government activities against poj intensified in late 1960s , 1970s, when several publications banned or seized in effort prevent spread of romanization. in 1964 use of taiwanese in schools or official settings forbidden, , transgression in schools punished beatings, fines , humiliation. taiwan church news (printed in poj) banned in 1969, , allowed return year later when publishers agreed print in chinese characters.

in 1974, government information office banned dictionary of southern min, government official saying: have no objection dictionary being used foreigners. use in mimeographed form. don t want published book , sold publicly because of romanization contains. chinese should not learning chinese through romanization. in 1970s, poj new testament translation known red cover bible (Âng-phoê sèng-keng) confiscated , banned nationalist regime. official moves against native languages continued 1980s, ministry of education , ministry of interior decided in 1984 forbid missionaries use local dialects , romanizations in work.

with ending of martial law in 1987, restrictions on local languages quietly lifted, resulting in growing interest in taiwanese writing during 1990s. first time since 1950s, taiwanese language , literature discussed , debated openly in newspapers , journals. there support opposition party, democratic progressive party, writing in language. total of 26 documented orthographies taiwanese in 1987 (including defunct systems), there further 38 invented 1987 1999, including 30 different romanizations, 6 adaptations of bopomofo , 2 hangul-like systems. commentators believe kuomintang, while steering clear of outright banning of native language movements after end of martial law, took divide , conquer approach promoting taiwanese language phonetic alphabet (tlpa), alternative poj, @ time choice of majority inside nativization movement.

native language education has remained fiercely debated topic in taiwan 21st century , subject of political wrangling.