Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday paid tribute to two late iconic figures in the Taiwanese independence movement, saying the younger generation must remember their predecessors’ struggles and remember their responsibility for Taiwan’s future.
The outgoing chairperson attended a book-launch for the autobiography of former World United Formosan for Independence (WUFI) chairman Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂) and a photographic exhibition in memory of independence activist Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), in rare public appearances since losing the presidential election last month.
The exhibition is even more meaningful to the younger generation, Tsai said, because “it makes them realize how many people made sacrifices and endured hardships in the service of Taiwan’s democratization over the years.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“That is something Taiwan’s society should always remember,” she said at Deng Nan-jung Memorial Museum, which is located in an apartment in downtown Taipei.
On April 7, 1989, Deng, then-publisher of Freedom Era Weekly magazine, committed suicide by self-immolation at the age of 43, when police tried to arrest him for printing a proposal for a constitution for the Republic of Taiwan in the magazine.
The chairperson also paid respect to Deng’s window, former vice premier Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭), who went into politics after Deng’s death.
Tsai also recognized Deng’s advocacy for transitional justice for the 228 Massacre, urging the government to discover the truth and promote reconciliation, and lamenting the deaths of tens of thousands of people, which he described as a tragedy.
On the eve of the 65th anniversary of the brutal massacre in 1947, she said it was imperative for Taiwanese to understand the importance of a fair and just society in which people can live without fear.
Earlier, speaking at the book-launching ceremony, Tsai praised Ng, who died on Nov. 17 last year at the age of 79, as “a real statesman who, unlike others, never wavered in his goal.”
“However, he was also a man with vision who knew how to balance his goal with reality,” Tsai said of Ng, who was the first senior pro-independence politician to endorse Tsai during her presidential campaign.
Tainan-born Ng was known for his decades of dedication to the independence movement. He began participating in the independence movement while he was studying in Japan and later was placed on a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government blacklist. Ng, who did not return to Taiwan until 1992, served as WUFI chairman starting in 1995 and as a presidential adviser during the DPP administration.
Tsai described Ng as someone who always kept her under his wing and nurtured her along the way.
“I felt that he would never leave, that he would always be my teacher, my father figure and one I always miss,” she said.
Asked by reporters about her future after stepping down as party chairperson on March 1, Tsai said she would unveil her plans on Wednesday, when she convenes the DPP’s Central Standing Committee meeting for the last time.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS