A memorial service for Reverend Kao Chun-ming (高俊明), 89, a Presbyterian pastor known for democracy activism who passed away on Thursday last week, was held by his family in Kaohsiung yesterday.
Kao was an advocate of Taiwanese independence and helped Shih Ming-te (施明德) flee from authorities following the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident during the White Terror era, for which he was imprisoned.
Kao’s family said he had asked that no obituary be written, and they were to decline wreaths and other memorial items, while the service was to be solemn and simple.
Photo: Huang Chia-lin, Taipei Times
Despite this, hundreds of people attended the afternoon ceremony at Hai-po Church in Hunei District (湖內), including Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), former premier William Lai (賴清德), Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊), former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Shih.
Kao’s authorship of “A Declaration of Human Rights by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan” in 1977 was a seminal moment in Taiwanese history, Lai said.
He showed “fearless leadership” in the struggle against authoritarianism, Lai said.
“Kao was kind and generous in ways that are impossible to describe in words,” he said.
A tearful Shih told attendees that Kao endured the hardships of the White Terror era while maintaining his integrity and principles while the courage of others faltered.
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