Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday marked Tomb Sweeping Day by paying tribute to late president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Taiwanese independence activist Su Beng (史明).
Tsai said in a Facebook post that she visited Lee’s resting place at a military cemetery in New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止) a few days earlier, crediting him with leading Taiwan through its critical transition to democracy and ensuring that Taiwanese could decide their own future through elections.
Lee, Taiwan’s first directly elected president in 1996, was widely known as “Mr. Democracy” and is seen as a key driving force behind Taiwan’s democratization.
Photo: Screen grab from Tsai’s Facebook page
Tsai said her name appears on an inscription at Lee’s gravesite, calling it a responsibility and a reminder that draws her back each year.
She said she visited Su’s grave in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里), describing him as “family.”
The visit felt like a reunion with friends and young people inspired by his legacy, Tsai said.
Su remained steadfast in his beliefs throughout his life, consistently voicing concern for Taiwan’s future and urging people to safeguard the nation’s values, she added.
“The paths tread by these elders were not easy,” Tsai said, adding that their perseverance laid the foundation for Taiwanese democracy and freedom today, and should be carried on to move the country forward steadily.
Su, an author, historian and political activist, is widely regarded as a pioneer of the Taiwanese independence movement.
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