The proposal by the Ministry of Education that high-school curriculum guidelines should say that the right to self-determination of people under colonial rule is restricted is aimed at depriving Taiwanese of their right to determine the future of their own country, while downplaying the White Terror era is an attempt to legitimize authoritarian rule, academics said yesterday.

Amid strong criticism, the ministry announced the full versions of adjustments to be made to the history, civic and social studies, Chinese language and geography curricula on Monday night.