The concerted effort of those who went through political persecution kept the flame of Taiwan’s democracy alive, Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) said yesterday ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident.
The oppression, authoritarian rule and Martial Law period in Taiwan gave the people a cause, Chen said at a seminar organized by the National Human Rights Museum in Taipei, which is hosting an international conference titled “Comparative Studies of Democratization in East Asia” ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident on Tuesday next week.
“We suffered much, but we never gave up our hopes or our ideals,” said Chen, who was arrested over the incident and jailed for six years during the White Terror era. “If one can dedicate their life toward realizing an ideal, it would be truly romantic.”
Photo: CNA
The Kaohsiung Incident was a pro-democracy demonstration organized by Formosa Magazine employees on Dec. 10, 1979.
Society changed visibly after the incident, Chen said.
Chen thanked the people of that era for willingly and bravely standing up for protesters, especially for political activist Shih Ming-te (施明德) while he was a fugitive.
She also honored the late Reverend Kao Chun-ming (高俊明) for “being willing to protect people and treat them with decency in those times.”
“The people of the Formosa Incident era will inevitably grow old and pass away, but the new generation, with their ideals for how Taiwan should be and their search for democracy and freedom, that has not and will not change,” Chen said.
This is the spirit that the younger generation must embrace, she said.
Deputy Minister of Culture Kevin Peng (彭俊亨) said that the Kaohsiung Incident was a crucial point in the development of Taiwan’s democracy.
Many young winners of the Ministry of Culture’s awards say they cherish the “free and liberal creative environment” that allows them to create works that have uniquely Taiwanese features, Peng said.
Thanks go to those who helped bring about this freedom, he said.
While Taiwan differs greatly compared with four decades ago, “threats and oppression still exist,” Peng said, calling on the people to uphold and maintain the nation’s democracy.
National Museum of Korean Contemporary History director Chu Chin-oh and Sungkonghoe University professor Kim Dong-choon shared perspectives of history and political sociology from democratization in South Korea.
Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor deputy chair Chong Yiu-kwong (莊耀洸) and Initium Media editor-in-chief Lee Chih-te (李志德) analyzed current events in Hong Kong.
An exhibition on the Kaohsiung Incident is to open tomorrow at the White Terror Memorial Park in Sindian’s Jingmei (景美) area. It runs through Sept. 30.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS