A leading publishing company yesterday released two books covering the life and writing of Taiwan democracy pioneer Lei Chen (
"Lei's bravery and fortitude in his pursuit of freedom and a constitutional government had a strong influence on the development of Taiwan's democracy," President Chen Shui-bian (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"The [KMT] regime was routed by the DPP on May 20, 2000 and [Lei Chen's] ideal of a `free China' started to become a reality," Chen said. May 20, 2000 is the day Chen was inaugurated as president.
Chen praised Lei as "a fighter who dared to challenge authority and pursue democracy and human rights."
`Free China'
In 1960, Lei, a liberal thinker who devoted his life to democratic reform and human rights, was accused of sedition and collaborating with communists and sentenced to 10 years in prison for publishing Free China (自由中國), a biweekly advocating liberalism that was sharply critical of the KMT's autocratic form of leadership.
He launched the China Democratic Party (
The two books released yesterday were Memoirs On The Creation Of A New Party (
Chen was the first person to raise concerns about the improper treatment of Lei Chen and he helped clear the activist's name, Lei Chen's daughter Lei Mei-lin (
Top-level recognition
"This is the first time that Taiwan's highest ranking government official has apologized to us," Lei Mei-lin said in tears.
Many friends, acquaintances and associates of Lei Chen attended the conference yesterday. Former legislative speaker Liang Su-jung (
"Lei Chen was a great man -- a forerunner of the democratic movement. He was a liberal, by no means a communist," Liang said. "I regret that he was sentenced to 10 years in prison without any chance of parole."
Council of Labor Affairs Chairwoman Chen Chu (
As the secretary of democracy activist Kuo Yu-hsin (
"The manuscripts that I delivered were only a small part of his memoirs. Actually, many journalists, priests and students living in US helped a lot," said Chen Chu.
"We hope that Mr. Lei's legacy can be remembered and handed down so that leaders will not commit the same tragedy," she said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS