Inside Taiwan’s Political Purgatory: Lee Teng-hui, a profile in courage (Part 11 of 20)

Lee Teng-hui is Taiwan’s elder statesman having served as President of the Republic of China in-exile from 1988 to 2000. Lee bridged the chasm between the martial law period under the dictatorship of Chiang Ching-kuo to his own elected presidential term.

Lee was a reluctant member of the Kuomintang political party and parted ways after his terms in office ended when the KMT expelled him. Still, Lee’s involvement in the KMT was difficult for his pro-democracy friends. Lee is also a former Communist Party member during his college days in Taiwan.

The first Taiwanese-born head of the Republic of China in-exile, Lee was raised during the Japanese period before World War II. Lee’s Japanese name, used throughout his childhood, is Isawato Masao. As Masao, Lee served in the Imperial Japanese Army during the war.

Lee, despite criticism of being an opportunist and weak on the independence issue, has navigated through the halls of power in a Chinese Nationalist government and introduced a number of changes and reforms.

In 1990, while President of the ROC, Lee met with student leaders of the Wild Lily Movement and bowed to their call for democracy in Taiwan. The next year Lee eliminated the “Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion” that had suspended democratic measures on the island since 1949.

Lee was reelected President of the Republic of China in-exile in 1996 in Taiwan’s first presidential election contest for the general public.

Educated in the United States, Lee’s 1995 return to visit his alma mater, Cornell University, literally took an act of Congress. The State Department denied Lee clearance to attend the Cornell event because President Bill Clinton did not want to offend the People’s Republic of China. A resolution of Congress reversed the administration and Lee made the trip.

That same year Lee made a formal apology for the 228 Massacre on behalf of the Kuomintang marking the first official recognition of the tragedy from the Presidential Palace.

Lee forever earned Beijing’s animosity in 1999 when he called for “nation-to-nation” talks between China and Taiwan. The Chinese media called Lee a “rat” and “scum” in editorials the next day. A new hour-long documentary about Lee has been released titled Lee Teng-hiui: The First Chinese Democracy that details the journey from authoritarianism.

Lee’s view of Taiwan’s status is that with the democratic elections under the Republic of China in-exile instituted by himself all that remains to be done is a name change and constitutional amendments. Independence by an evolutionary rather than revolutionary process. Lee supports the Name Rectification Campaign to change the government name from Republic of China to the Republic of Taiwan.

Still active, Lee keeps a busy schedule of travel, meetings and interviews. Lee is the founder and mentor of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, a small political party. Lee also runs a seminar school on political action.

Perhaps Lee’s greatest contribution to the people of Taiwan is not a single act but the ongoing effort at recognition of a Taiwanese identity. Lee’s Taiwanization philosophy is ultimately in conflict with Chinese Nationalism and for that continuing struggle in Taiwan’s political purgatory, Lee is a profile in courage.

Inside Taiwan's Political Purgatory: Next, Su Beng, a profile in courage