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Ma eulogizes democracy pioneer as national hero

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday paid tribute to Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui (蔣渭水) on the 77th anniversary of his death.

Visiting Chiang’s tomb at the Fanlanshan Public Cemetery in Taipei’s Wenshan District, Ma described Chiang as a national hero.

Ma said that Chiang was a hero because he led unarmed militia to fight against the Japanese at a time when they had firm control over many aspects of life.

He said Chiang, who founded the country’s first political party, the Taiwan People’s Party (台灣民眾黨), was not only a politician but also a social reformer who devoted himself to improving women’s rights and helping the disadvantaged.

Chiang formed the Taiwan Culture Association (台灣文化協會) with a group of intellectuals in October 1921. Its aim was to awaken Taiwanese consciousness through cultural enlightenment.

Chiang was imprisoned more than 10 times for defying orders from the Japanese authorities. He died of typhoid in 1931, at the age of 40.

Ma yesterday recounted anecdotes of Chiang to illustrate Chiang’s abhorrence of Japanese imperialism and militarism. He said Chiang had attempted to poison the Japanese emperor, and that he and several medical graduates tried to poison Yuan Shih-kai (袁世凱), a warlord in the early 20th century who overthrew the Republic of China and declared himself emperor.
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