President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that when he worked for then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) secretary-general Lee Huan (李煥), both of them were branded as “Red Guards” because they were trying to push for major political reforms.
At a memorial for Lee, who died on Dec. 2 at the age of 93, Ma reflected on the days when the late KMT leader and government official was his boss.
Their main duties at the time were to prepare for the lifting of martial law, to allow for the formation of political parties and to replace a whole generation of National Assembly members, Ma said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Ma said that because the later task affected many senior politicians, he and Lee were criticized and labeled “Red Guards” — a name drawn from the forces unleashed by former Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東) to purge his political enemies in China during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976.
Ma praised Lee for contributing greatly to the process of retiring senior members of the National Assembly, amending the Constitution and pushing through other political reforms.
Acting on a directive by then-president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), Lee also worked in particular to cultivate Taiwan-born politicians, which was a major achievement that helped “build energy” for further political development, Ma said.
“It is necessary to illustrate Lee’s important role in helping to achieve the Republic of China’s transition to democracy,” Ma said.
The president issued a special citation in honor of Lee, which was accepted by Lee Ching-chung (李慶中), Lee Huan’s eldest son.
Lee Huan was born in Hubei Province, China, on Sept. 24, 1917. In addition to his KMT party posts, he served as education minister and premier before retiring.
Honoring his wishes for no altars, public mourning, condolence committees, obituaries or funeral services, his children held a “non-funeral service” yesterday.
Although it was an informal gathering, it was attended by a number of prominent politicians, including Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Examination Yuan President John Kuan (關中), former KMT chairmen Lien Chan (連戰) and Wu Po-hsiung (吳伯雄), as well as New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明).
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS