The DPP and government heavyweights paid respects to late party stalwart and founding member Fei Hsi-ping (
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) lauded the deceased former lawmaker for his judicious wording of the Taiwan independence clause contained in the DPP's charter.
"During the DPP's extraordinary National Delegation Congress in 1988, the party elite seriously argued the issue of whether to put the clause into the party's plat-form," Chen said in an address at Fei's funeral.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Party officials praised Fei's achievements, saying he stood out as a "democratic pioneer" during a time of dictatorship.
"It was Fei, who sat beside me during the congress, who supported my idea of proposing an amendment called `the four ifs' to soften the impact of the clause," Chen said.
The clause listed four circumstances in which the DPP would declare the nation's independence: if the KMT negotiated with the Chinese Communist Party, if China invaded Taiwan, if the KMT government sold out Taiwanese interests, and if the KMT government refused to introduce real democracy and constitutional government.
Chen said that he proposed this amendment during the congress and that Fei's support was crucial to the reaching of a consensus in its favor.
Fei, a mainlander and a former KMT lawmaker who sided with opposition political groups to attack the KMT in the late 1970s, passed away on Feb. 21. He was 86.
Chen said that Fei was not only one of only a few mainlanders devoted to democratization but also a brave politician who confronted the autocratic regime with an instinctive understanding of right and wrong.
"Fei proved throughout his life that the pursuit of democracy, freedom and human rights can transcend ethnic lines," Chen said. "His career also ensured that the society of Taiwan will expect and admire a politician, whether Taiwanese or Chinese, if he speaks and behaves in accordance with justice and his conscience."
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) praised the strength of character with which she said Fei fought the alien, autocratic KMT regime. Lu said the former regime should serve as a constant reminder to people who harbor unrealistic expectations of Beijing.
"The different attitudes toward China within Taiwan, with some hostile to China and others adopting the illusion that China is our friend, is the crux of the division within our country over the development of cross-strait relations," Lu said.
The DPP also praised Fei for the considerable assistance he provided to victims of political oppression. It said he was a true patriot unencumbered by ideology.
Fei was born in 1916 in China's Liaoning Province. He graduated from Beijing University and was elected as a legislator in 1948. He maintained the position for 42 years until 1990 when he retired.
During his political career, Fei repeatedly defended Lei Chen (
He campaigned for opposition politicians after the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident.
In 1986, Fei was elected to the DPP's Central Standing Committee.
But unable to identify with the party's march toward independence, Fei broke with the party in 1988. he withdrew from the political scene after moving to the US.
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) yesterday promised it would increase oversight of use of Chinese in course materials, following a social media outcry over instances of simplified Chinese characters being used, including in a final exam. People on Threads wrote that simplified Chinese characters were used on a final exam and in a textbook for a translation course at the university, while the business card of a professor bore the words: “Taiwan Province, China.” Photographs of the exam, the textbook and the business card were posted with the comments. NKUST said that other members of the faculty did not see
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) and Chunghwa Telecom yesterday confirmed that an international undersea cable near Keelung Harbor had been cut by a Chinese ship, the Shunxin-39, a freighter registered in Cameroon. Chunghwa Telecom said the cable had its own backup equipment, and the incident would not affect telecommunications within Taiwan. The CGA said it dispatched a ship under its first fleet after receiving word of the incident and located the Shunxin-39 7 nautical miles (13km) north of Yehliu (野柳) at about 4:40pm on Friday. The CGA demanded that the Shunxin-39 return to seas closer to Keelung Harbor for investigation over the
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
RSS