A memorial event for democracy advocate Chen Wen-chen (陳文成) was held in Taipei yesterday on the 39th anniversary of his death.
Chen, who was a statistics professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the US, was found dead on National Taiwan University (NTU) campus on the morning of July 3, 1981, during a visit to Taiwan.
A day earlier, he had been interrogated by the Taiwan Garrison Command, a Martial Law-era state security agency that has since been disbanded.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Although Chen’s death remains unsolved, a report by the Transitional Justice Commission in May said that he was likely murdered and that the Taiwan Garrison Command might have been involved.
The evening memorial had been scheduled for the Dr Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square (陳文成事件紀念廣場) at NTU, but was moved inside the First Student Activity Center due to rain.
It was co-organized by the NTU Student Association, the NTU Graduate Student Association, the Dr Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation and the Professor Chen Wen-Chen Memorial Foundation.
Vice President William Lai (賴清德), Transitional Justice Commission Chairwoman Yang Tsui (楊翠), Dr Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation chairwoman Yang Huang Maysing (楊黃美幸), Professor Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation board member Huang Ching-chih (黃靜芝) and National Human Rights Museum Director Chen Chun-hung (陳俊宏) were among the attendees.
Organizers led attendees in a minute’s silence in honor of those affected by the 228 Incident and the White Terror era.
Yang Huang said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) owed Taiwanese “many apologies.”
It matters less who carried out the alleged murder than who ordered it, she said.
Leather Lattice (皮格子樂團) performed three songs in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) that the band said were inspired by the White Terror era and Chen Wen-chen’s death.
Performances by Ai-wen (艾文) and Monbaza Chang (張耘之) were among several others at the event, which began at 7pm and was ongoing as of press time last night.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and the Democratic Progressive Party yesterday also marked the anniversary on Facebook.
Additional reporting by CNA
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