Chen Wan-chen (陳婉真), a former legislator and Taiwanese independence activist, died of cancer yesterday morning at a hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
She was 75 years old.
The Taiwan Transitional Justice Association, a non-governmental organization founded by Chen in 2016, yesterday mourned her death.
File photo: Liberty Times
Lu Chien-hsing (呂建興), a board member of the association who goes by the pseudonym Lu Yu (呂昱), said Chen had been undergoing cancer treatment for an extended period.
Chen’s friend Lee Kuan-ling (李冠伶) said Chen appeared strong and remained upbeat around others, making it difficult for many to tell she was ill.
Writer Hsieh Chien-ping (謝建平) wrote on Facebook that Chen was “the bravest female warrior in Taiwan’s founding,” wishing she would “forever protect this beautiful country.”
Photo: CNA
Chen worked as a journalist in the 1970s, covering the Taiwan Provincial Council — which became obsolete in 1998 — and developed an interest in Taiwan’s democratic movement.
She was blacklisted for her political activities and barred from returning to Taiwan by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government in 1979.
She returned to Taiwan in 1989 for Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕) funeral.
In 1992, Chen ran for legislator representing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in then-Taipei County (now New Taipei City) and was elected.
However, she was expelled from the DPP in 1997 for slandering party members.
In 1998, she ran for legislator for the New National Alliance, but was not elected.
Chen then focused on cultural and historical work, while continuing her social activism.
In other news, political commentator Nan Fang Shuo (南方朔), a cofounder of the political weekly The Journalist, (新新聞), has died at 78, said Chen Hao (陳浩), a reporter and former colleague at the Chinese-language China Times.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday evening, Chen lamented the death of Nan Fang Shuo, whose real name was Wang Hsing-ching (王杏慶), saying that he had passed away peacefully at 1:45pm on Monday.
Chen said he had visited Wang’s mourning hall to pay his respects on Monday, adding that he and many of Wang’s friends were surprised by the news and saddened at his passing.
While Chen did not disclose the cause of death, local news media reports said that the political commentator died of pneumonia. As of press time last night, Wang’s family had not commented on his death.
Lo Mei-ling (羅玫玲), a veteran in the publishing industry, said that Wang had a stroke some time ago and had been in poor health ever since, adding that her father and Wang were once hospitalized in the same facility around the same time.
Born in 1946, Wang had a master’s degree in forestry from National Taiwan University and a doctorate in economic planning from Chinese Culture University.
Wang worked as a reporter, column section chief, associate editor and editor-in-chief at China Times before establishing The Journalist in 1987 with fellow political commentators Wang Chien-chuang (王健壯), Antonio Chiang (江春男) and Chou Tien-jui (周天瑞).
Launched prior to the lifting of martial law in September 1987, the magazine sought to be a flag-bearer for a free press, democracy and social justice, in addition to providing “a voice that Taiwan cannot be without.”
After being informed of Wang’s death, Chiang and Chou said they were too upset to talk to the media.
Titian Publishing Co said Wang tried his best to fight the political system by planning and participating in street movements.
A heavyweight in Taiwan’s political and cultural arena, Wang understood well the pulse of society and provided the younger generation with vital support, it said.
Columnist Tsai Chi-ta (蔡其達) likened Wang to Prometheus in Greek mythology, who defied the Olympian gods by taking fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge and, more generally, civilization.
Wang lit the candle of life in his era, Tsai said, adding that history would never forget him.
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