Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), a strong advocate of Taiwan’s democracy and independence, died of multiple organ failure at National Taiwan University Hospital early yesterday morning. He was 78 years old.
The veteran politician was rushed to the National Taiwan University Hospital on Dec. 18 after he was found unconscious at his residence in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Banciao District (板橋). He was diagnosed to have suffered a brainstem hemorrhage and lapsed into a severe coma.
Chai never regained consciousness after emergency surgery and was declared dead yesterday.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Correcting its earlier report that Chai died after his two daughters agreed to have his life support removed, Formosa Television (FTV), which Chai cofounded, said there was no such consent.
“The life support was not removed. It was a natural death,” FTV vice president Wang Ming-yu (王明玉) said.
No date has been set for a memorial ceremony, she added.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Known as an earnest pro-independence activist, Chai served six terms in the legislature from 1993 to 2012. He was a member of the DPP’s Central Executive Committee.
In a Facebook post yesterday, DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said: “From [his time] abroad to [his return to] Taiwan, party member Chai had dedicated his life to further democracy. Today we have lost a comrade that had long fought by our side.”
Su said Chai had the respect of party members due to his efforts to uphold the nation’s democracy, adding that the party would take up where Chai left off.
The party would also help Chai’s family in whatever way it can, Su added.
“It’s a loss for the country, because Chai had many political ideas and goals that he wanted to pursue,” Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday.
Wang Jin-pyng said Chai helped push for legislation on the Referendum Act (公民投票法), which played an important role in Taiwan’s political development.
Also, Chai contributed a lot to Taiwan’s democratic movement and the development of Taiwan-US relations, and to the DPP as well, he said.
Numerous members from the pan-green camp, including Su, former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) yesterday paid their final respects to Chai at a memorial service hall set up near the Taipei City First Funeral Parlor.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) president Mark Kao (高龍榮) said Chai won Taiwan’s respect with his pioneering initiatives and the respect of the US Congress with his determination and conviction to “make Taiwan a better place.”
FAPA is a Washington-based nonprofit organization, which Chai and several Taiwanese pro-independence activists co-founded in 1982 to seek worldwide support for Taiwan’s independence and for the interests of Taiwanese.
Chai was the organization’s first president in 1982.
Calling Chai a pioneer of democracy, Kao said the politician’s devotion to making Taiwan a better country has won him the respect of Taiwanese and the US Congress.
US Congressional leaders also expressed their sorrow on Friday at the news of Chai’s death.
“He was a good friend and a great Taiwanese patriot,” said the chairman of the US House of Representatives subcommittee on Asia, US Representative Steve Chabot.
Chabot said that he was “deeply saddened” by Chai’s death.
“Those of us in the Congress who advocate for the cause of Taiwanese freedom will miss him greatly,” Chabot said.
Former chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said that as a lifelong friend of Taiwan and a founding member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, she remembered Chai as a “true leader.”
“He was a familiar face to many of us on Capitol Hill, where he would often meet with members of Congress to discuss the importance of freedom and democracy in Taiwan,” Ros-Lehtinen said.
Additional reporting by Rich Chang
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
RSS