President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other politicians yesterday mourned the passing of veteran democracy activist Shih Ming-te (施明德).
Shih, a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, died at the age of 83 yesterday after battling cancer for years.
In a Facebook post, Tsai described Shih as a pioneer of democracy and human rights who devoted himself to the democratic movement during Taiwan’s authoritarian period.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan has navigated through periods of political party bans and newspaper restrictions, culminating in the eighth direct presidential election, said Tsai, who visited Shih in hospital on Sunday.
Tsai expressed gratitude to Shih for his dedication, stating that the public would “consolidate all our endeavors and persist in building a better Taiwan.”
Vice President William Lai (賴清德), who won the presidential election on Saturday, also paid tribute to Shih’s contributions and legacy on Facebook.
“Former chairman Shih was a trailblazer for democracy, a staunch defender of human rights, and a wise and courageous politician,” Lai said.
Shih, who dedicated his life and career to the advancement of human rights in Taiwan, has been called the “Nelson Mandela of Taiwan.”
He was jailed from 1962 to 1977 for sedition after calling for Taiwan’s independence from China, and again from 1980 to 1990 for his role in the Kaohsiung Incident.
Shih was chairman of the DPP from 1993 to 1996, and served as a lawmaker from 1993 to 2002.
He split with the party after then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the DPP became embroiled in several corruption scandals, later leading a mass movement calling for Chen’s resignation in 2006.
Chen, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted on corruption and bribery charges in 2010, expressed his condolences on social media.
Reflecting on their shared history during the Kaohsiung Incident, Chen said he remembered watching Shih stand strong in front of the military court while serving as his lawyer.
On Dec. 10, 1979, Shih and other opposition leaders held a rally in Kaohsiung to commemorate Human Rights Day and call for democracy in Taiwan. The then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government cracked down on the demonstration and arrested Shih and the other leaders in what became known as the Kaohsiung Incident.
Chen said Shih had advocated throughout his life that Taiwan should move toward a Cabinet system.
“Prophets often tread a lonely path,” Chen said, expressing his conviction that, given time, Shih’s proposal for Taiwan to adopt a Cabinet system would become mainstream public opinion in Taiwan.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), a member of the KMT, conveyed his condolences on Facebook, adding that Shih had effectively fulfilled a role in monitoring the government, displaying profound compassion for the people residing in this land.
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
‘DANGEROUS GAME’: Legislative Yuan budget cuts have already become a point of discussion for Democrats and Republicans in Washington, Elbridge Colby said Taiwan’s fall to China “would be a disaster for American interests” and Taipei must raise defense spending to deter Beijing, US President Donald Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon policy, Elbridge Colby, said on Tuesday during his US Senate confirmation hearing. The nominee for US undersecretary of defense for policy told the Armed Services Committee that Washington needs to motivate Taiwan to avoid a conflict with China and that he is “profoundly disturbed” about its perceived reluctance to raise defense spending closer to 10 percent of GDP. Colby, a China hawk who also served in the Pentagon in Trump’s first team,
SEPARATE: The MAC rebutted Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is China’s province, asserting that UN Resolution 2758 neither mentions Taiwan nor grants the PRC authority over it The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.” Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN. Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but
INVESTMENT WATCH: The US activity would not affect the firm’s investment in Taiwan, where 11 production lines would likely be completed this year, C.C. Wei said Investments by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in the US should not be a cause for concern, but rather seen as the moment that the company and Taiwan stepped into the global spotlight, President William Lai (賴清德) told a news conference at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday alongside TSMC chairman and chief executive officer C.C. Wei (魏哲家). Wei and US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday announced plans to invest US$100 billion in the US to build three advanced foundries, two packaging plants, and a research and development center, after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on chips made
RSS