US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday met with democracy advocates Wuer Kaixi, Lee Ming-che (李明哲) and Lam Wing-kei (林榮基) at the Jingmei White Terror Memorial Park in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店).
Pelosi entered the museum at 2:40pm yesterday while officers from the New Taipei City Police Department’s Special Police Corps remained outside to guard the site.
Lee, who works for a Taiwanese non-governmental organization and was released from prison in China on April 15 after a five-year term, arrived five minutes later.
Photo: Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affair
Tibetan government-in-exile representative to Taiwan Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa and Lam, a Hong Kong-born bookseller who migrated to Taiwan after being persecuted by Beijing, arrived at 3pm.
Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Lam said they would discuss human rights in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China.
“Human rights are universal values. It makes no difference where you are from,” he said. “What is important is that Pelosi supports Taiwan. She lets people in Taiwan and Hong Kong feel they are not alone.”
Photo: Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Speaking with reporters ahead of the meeting, Wuer Kaixi recalled his first meeting with Pelosi, in 1989, after he fled China for the US to escape looming arrest for his involvement in organizing the protests that were quashed by the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
“When I first arrived in the US, I was deeply impressed by Pelosi, who had just become a representative,” he said.
He said Pelosi helped him and other democracy advocates, adding that she lent a helping hand to anyone who needed assistance arranging a visa or help adapting to life in the US.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
“She was very kind and a good friend,” he said. “When I met her in Oslo in 2010, she gave me a big hug and introduced me to her family.”
Wuer Kaixi said he was happy to meet her in the country where he has found refuge, adding that he would tell her “how wonderful Taiwan is.”
He said he felt the US cutting ties with Taiwan was unfair and hoped Pelosi could push for amendments to Taiwan-related US laws.
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