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"Newsmaker-3": Hakka leader always looking for possibilities

By Irene Lin
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Jun 17, 2001, Page 3

KC Fan TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO

When he took over the new position as chairman of the Hakka Commission, KC Fan (范光群), a top litigator in Taiwan, waved goodbye not only to a lucrative job but to a legal career of 31 years.

"I think few people would doubt Fan is competent enough for the new position but many would wonder why he'd want it, because normally one would not make such a choice when living a comfortable life as a senior partner of a profitable law firm," said Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), a Hakka heavyweight and vice chairman of the KMT.

Fan, a Master of Law from Columbia University, worked as a judge, a secondary school teacher, and a university professor before he founded Formosa Trans-national Attorneys at Law (萬國法律事務所) with three friends in 1974.

At the time, a law firm established in partnership was rare in Taiwan, but Formosa Trans-national has proved to be a successful pioneer through the decades. Aside from its economic success, a corporate culture emphasizing Taiwanese identity has also distinguished Fan's law firm from others.

During the 1970s, through the Chinese Society of Comparative Law (中國比較法學會), Fan met a large number of opposition activists and became a supporter of the opposition movement.

Some of these former opposition activists have now become political leaders, and one of them is President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

Both Fan and Chen received their legal training at the prestigious National Taiwan University and the two have long shared similar ideas about legal and political reform.

The legal community has long been a support base for lawyer-turned-politician Chen and Fan has been at the forefront.

During last year's presidential campaign, Fan and other legal experts teamed up to promote Chen and map out a blueprint of legal reform for him. And following the election, he was appointed as advisor to the president and joined the president's inter-party advisory group on cross-strait issues.

Nevertheless, despite his closeness with the president, Fan's appointment to the Hakka Commission has surprised many because Fan, despite being a Hakka, has not been particularly active in the Hakka community.

Some analysts say that since the Hakka are divided into several factions which compete for leadership, Fan's appointment is fair to all because he is not affiliated with any of them.

integration

But more importantly for the president and the new chairman, the creation of the Hakka Commission is not just about preservation and promotion of Hakka culture. It is an initial step toward the greater goal of integrating minority ethnic groups into Taiwanese society.

"Ethnic conflicts have been a big issue in Taiwanese society, which is made up of many ethnic groups with different cultures and languages. In a way, the Hakka Commission is experimental and our long-term goal is to promote understanding and respect for each ethnic group and integrate them into a stronger unity," Fan said.

Though a freshman in political circles, Fan is a senior legal practitioner and is recognized as one of the best litigators in Taiwan. Moreover, the former president of the Taiwan and Taipei Bar Association has also won a reputation for his persistent participation in judicial reform.

As a lawyer, Fan is known for his ability to proceed with his arguments straightforwardly and attack the opposition powerfully but respectfully, and his skillful performance in the courtroom is said to be able to win over the most headstrong judge.

"He never gets agitated by judges who seem to have made up their minds and who refuse further argument. In situations like this, he would speak just as calmly and smoothly as you could imagine, in what we call `the manner of Fan' to persuade the judges," said Wellington Koo (顧立雄), a Formosa Trans-national attorney, who has paired up with Fan in litigation since 1983.

"`Your honor,' he would say, `it's a very impressive opinion you've made, but may I propose another possibility to you ...,' which is typical of the Fan-style rhetoric," Ku said.

"It's a number one rule for an attorney never to irritate the judge, but it's also just as important that you get your message across. Fan is pretty talented at that."

Born to a big family in Hsinchu County, Fan has nine brothers and two sisters. His father, a former county councilor, became widely known for his children's educational achievements -- among them are three doctors, two masters, and five university graduates.

Under the influence of his father, Fan became very interested in politics and had wanted to run in National Assembly elections in 1978. The election, however, was called off after the US announced the severance of Taiwan-US diplomatic ties.

childhood dream

John Chen (陳傳岳), a close friend of Fan's for 37 years and one of the founders of Formosa Trans-national, revealed that Fan as a child had yearned to take up a career as a diplomat.

"Although he did not make it in the end, the way in which he speaks and behaves is quite the manner of a diplomat," Chen said.

While legal matters can be very serious and very dull too, his friends say Fan knows well how to enjoy life and always looks for surprises.

Fond of red wine, he organized a red wine society consisting of some 20 lawyers, which meets every three months to celebrate fine wine and good food. He is also said to enjoy traveling and would reportedly seize every opportunity to look for fun.

Making a career shift at the age of 62 is not easy and giving up a multi-million dollar income makes it all the more harrowing.

But Ku said he understands why Fan made the choice: "His life is just like an expedition. After being a lawyer for so many years, he is still seeking challenges -- and I think this is just what the new position means to him."
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