Justice minister's career has roots in aid to `tang wai' movement

He dismissed intelligence agents who had been placed in companies and schools back in the martial law era. And he eliminated a regulation requiring that the national anthem be played in theaters before the beginning of every movie.

Chen's political involvement goes back to his connections with the tang wai (黨外) movement, the forerunner of the DPP. Many of those involved in the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979 were Chen's high school or college friends.

In addition, the murder of former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung's (林義雄) mother and twin daughters also inspired Chen to devote himself to politics. Before that, as a successful businessman, he constantly donated and supported "tang wai" activists. Those actions long ago are now giving his political career a boost.