Lawyer Chen Chun-han (陳俊翰), who the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had on its list of legislator-at-large candidates in the Jan. 13 elections, has died, the party said on Thursday.
He was 40.
The DPP said in a statement that Chen died on Sunday following suspected complications after a cold.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
His family did not announce his death until Thursday, as it was the Lunar New Year holiday, it said.
Chen, who had spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), was embroiled in controversy after Chinese journalist Wang Zhian (王志安) — who has lived in Japan since being blacklisted by Beijing — on Jan. 22 imitated his voice on The Night Night Show with Hello and accused the DPP of using his condition to elicit sympathy from voters in the buildup to the legislative elections.
Wang also drew criticism for using a term for disabled people considered derogatory in Taiwan.
Wang on Jan. 26 apologized to Chen, the talk show and the DPP in a livestream on YouTube.
Host Hello (賀瓏) and the production team also apologized to Chen.
Due to having SMA, Chen could only move his eyes, mouth and one finger. He had his legs amputated while at university after they were burned in a fire caused by an electric blanket.
He was connected to a ventilator at the time so was unable to call for help.
Chen studied law at National Taiwan University and received the highest score in Taiwan’s bar exams in 2006.
He went to Harvard University to study for a master’s in law in 2012, passed the New York State Bar exams in 2013 and got his advanced degree in 2014.
Despite being eligible to work as a lawyer in the US and having access to SMA drugs there, Chen returned to Taiwan to pursue a career as a human rights advocate.
“I was born and raised in Taiwan, and I wanted to do more for my country,” he said of his decision.
An advocate of rights for people with disabilities, Chen devoted himself to amending laws to make them more inclusive.
He said he hoped his efforts would help disabled people “achieve self-worth.”
Disabled people are entitled to pursue their dreams, he said.
He called for more support for disabled students on campuses, arguing that if a disabled person worked hard to be admitted, universities should provide more assistance and support to help them make the most of their studies.
Chen in 2022 obtained a doctorate in law from the University of Michigan and became a postdoctoral academic at Academia Sinica in May last year.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) on Thursday offered their condolences after learning about Chen’s death.
Presidential Office spokesperson Olivia Lin (林聿禪) cited Tsai as saying that Chen was a “fighter.”
The government would continue working to promote rights for disabled people in honor of his legacy, she added.
Lai called Chen an “angel” and said he would be remembered forever.
On Facebook, Hello said that Chen’s resilience was “truly admirable” and thanked him for his “devotion to Taiwan.”
Wang on X offered his condolences and “sincere apologies.”
Wang wrote that he had been penning an apology for two weeks, but kept finding that amendments were needed.
It was “truly regrettable that I was not able to convey my apologies to Lawyer Chen,” he wrote.
He posted the unfinished apology letter on X and apologized again.
He added that he hopes to have the chance to inform more people about Chen’s efforts and achievements.
Saying sorry might not be sufficient to make up for the harm caused, Wang said, adding that he would donate ￥1 million (US$6,654) to the Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders.
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