Democracy, freedom values 'inherent in Taiwanese': President Tsai

Taipei, April 7 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Sunday that the "values of democracy and freedom are inherent in Taiwanese," as she paid tribute to Nylon Cheng (鄭南榕), a freedom advocate and martyr who self-immolated 35 years ago.

April 7 not only marks the 35th anniversary of Cheng's martyrdom, but is also Freedom of Speech Day in Taiwan, a national memorial day that was first observed in 2017, Tsai said in a speech at a memorial service for Cheng in New Taipei.

Cheng was a political magazine publisher and fierce pro-democracy activist, who committed suicide by self-immolation on April 7, 1989, in protest against an attempt by authorities to arrest him on charges of sedition.

On Sunday, Tsai said Freedom of Speech Day reminded everyone that Taiwan's democracy and freedom "did not come out of nowhere" but were achieved through the blood and tears of many who went before.

Cheng's courage and sacrifice inspired many Taiwanese to strive for an open and democratic society, she said.

As a result, Taiwan was ranked first in Asia in the Democracy Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit this year, and in the Human Freedom Index published by the United States-based Cato Institute and the Canada-based Fraser Institute last year, she said.

While those achievements can be attributed to the efforts of all Taiwanese, Tsai said, freedom and democracy are not inviolable, and they are constantly under threat from the expansion of authoritarianism and misinformation attacks.

Taiwan stands on the frontline, defending democracy, she said.

Democratic progress requires the cooperation of all parties concerned and the preservation of memories down though the generations, said Tsai, 67, who will hand over the presidency next month, after two terms in office, to her Vice President and President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

"For people of my generation, we grew up with memories of an authoritarian government," she said. "But young people of this generation are accustomed to [...] expressing their ideas and points of view online ... because the values of democracy and freedom are inherent in Taiwanese."

The commemoration of Cheng's death, therefore, is a means of helping people to better understand the country's history and development, she said.

Tsai expressed the hope that Taiwan would continue to stand with like-minded countries that value democracy, will contribute to goodwill, and show that "we are a good country with good people," under the guidance of Cheng's spirit.

The memorial service was also attended by other prominent members of the Democratic Progressive Party, including Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊), and Secretary-General to the President Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), as well as Cheng's widow Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) and his daughter Cheng Chu-mei (鄭竹梅).

Cheng Chu-mei, who chairs the Nylon Cheng Liberty Foundation, said that after her father's death, freedom of speech gradually became a reality in Taiwan, even while facing other threats.

Her father's advocacy for Taiwan independence was about enabling Taiwanese to autonomously determine the future of the country, she said.

She said it was her hope that his mantra of "better to burn out than to rust out" would be adopted by younger generations.

Further reading

● Taiwan's progress in freedom of speech faces new challenges

FEATURE / 35 years later, freedom of speech defender Nylon Cheng's legacy lives on