The original inhabitants of Taiwan were violently suppressed from 1945 onwards by the 'newcomers' of the Nationalist Party. Especially in the early 1950s, many people were persecuted as 'bandit spies'. A large penal colony was established on Bonfire Island (Huoshao Dao, 火烧岛), now known as Green Island (Lüdao, 绿岛), east off Taiwan.