Pro-independence groups yesterday paid tribute to Taiwanese independence activist Chen Chih-hsiung (陳智雄) at a press conference that commemorated Chen’s execution 50 years ago by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime.
Chen’s daughter, Vonny Chen (陳雅芳), displayed her father’s final letters written before his execution — which she did not receive until March this year — at the news conference organized by the World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI).
Born in Pingtung in 1916, Chen was executed on May 28, 1963. According to WUFI, Chen was the first Taiwanese independence activist to be executed in Taiwan.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Vonny Chen, who grew up in Indonesia and does not speak Mandarin, told the press conference in English that her resentment toward her father as a child vanished after getting to know more about her father’s “courageous story” as she became older.
“I received compensation from Taiwan’s government about 10 years ago, but I could not care less about the money because I would rather have my father back,” Vonny Chen said, adding that she never knew about the letters and properties of her father in government archives until March.
Chen Chih-hsiung, described as “the No. 1 martyr for Taiwanese independence” by his acquaintances, was always high-spirited in his prison cell, said Liu Chin-shih (劉金獅), who stayed next door to him in prison.
Chen Chih-hsiung shouted “Long live Taiwan independence” twice before he was sent to the execution ground on that fateful day, Liu said.
Knowing that Chen had always been proud of his belief and refused to be intimidated by prison officials or the fear of death, the soldiers smashed his feet, pierced his cheek with steel wires and stuffed a cloth in his mouth before dragging him to the execution ground, Liu said.
A multilinguist, Chen worked as a translator in Indonesia for the Japanese Imperial Army during the Pacific War and after World War II, became a jewelry dealer there, where he assisted in the Indonesian independence movement and was imprisoned by the Dutch.
Chen later devoted his energy to the Taiwanese independence movement and was named ambassador to Southeast Asia by the Japan-based provisional government of the Republic of Taiwan in February 1958 and served in that capacity until he left for Japan later that year.
Chen was kidnapped by the KMT officials in Japan and returned to Taiwan the following year, but he kept working for the independence movement. He was arrested by the Taiwan Garrison Command in 1962 and charged with rebellion.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS