Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

 
  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Home Editorials of Interest Jerome F. Keating's writings Taiwan & Deng Nan-jung's Death: It was not that Long Ago!

Taiwan & Deng Nan-jung's Death: It was not that Long Ago!

It was barely 23 years ago; I was here but I was not paying attention to such things at that time; now I see its importance. Deng Nan-jung committed suicide by self-immolation when in 1989 the police tried to arrest him. His crime? He printed a proposal to have a new constitution--one for the Republic of Taiwan. In hindsight, he was ahead of his time. Taiwan does need a new Constitution; it should not have the 1947 one that the KMT brought with them when they lost the Civil War in China and imposed it on Taiwan.

IN 1989, the Garrison Command (military police) still walked the streets--they would do so until disbanded in 1992; people were still hesitant to speak their minds in public though Martial Law had been lifted in 1987. And free elections of the Legislative Yuan (to come in 1992) and the Presidency (1996) were still a dream.

Today, the lane Deng committed suicide has just been dedicated as "Freedom Lane." Taipei Mayor, Hau Lung-bin was present and said he had the utmost respect for Deng's sacrifice in the pursuit of "100 per cent freedom of expression." For many, the irony there was that Hau's father, Hau Pei-tsun was part of the military establishment that enforced Martial Law and supported the Garrison Command.

How times have changed in Taiwan.

For those wishing to see the marker, it is at Alley 3, Lane 106, Minquan E. Rd. Sec. 3, Taipei.


Source: Jerome F. Keating's writings



Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
Reddit! Del.icio.us! Mixx! Google! Live! Facebook! StumbleUpon! Facebook! Twitter!  
 

Newsflash

Pressure from China, flawed legislation and self-censorship among Taiwanese youth are the biggest threats to the nation’s freedom of speech, Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation managing director Cheng Tsing-hua (鄭清華) said on Saturday.

April 7 was designated Free Speech Day in 2016 to commemorate democracy advocate Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕), who set himself on fire 29 years ago to protest against government restrictions on the freedom of speech.