Shih Ming-teh
Encyclopedia
Shih Ming-te or Shih Ming-teh ' onMouseout='HidePop("6114")' href="/topics/Kaohsiung">Kaohsiung
) was a political prisoner
for 25-and-a-half years in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
He was arrested at the age of 21 in 1962 and charged with creating the "Taiwan Independence League" (a study group) with the intention of overthrowing the Kuomintang
government, Shih was sentenced to life imprisonment
. The sentence was commuted to 15 years in 1975, and Shih was released on June 16, 1977.
He promptly joined the Tangwai
(literally meaning "outside the party", because the Kuomintang
was the only legally existing political party in Taiwan at that time), became a reporter for the Liberty Times
and married the American researcher Linda Gail Arrigo
. After playing a part in organizing the December 10, 1979 pro-democracy rally subsequently known as the Kaohsiung Incident
, (also known as the Formosa Incident or Meilitao Incident), an arrest warrant was issued charging Shih with treason, and following 26 days on the run he was again arrested and sentenced to life in prison. In 1984, while he was incarcerated, Polish politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa
nominated him for Peace Prize.
On July 1987, Chiang Ching-kuo
lifted martial law
and offered an amnesty to Shih, but he refused to accept. On May 20, 1990 he was finally released. In total, he spent 25 years in prison, 13 years in solitary confinement
and over 4 years on hunger strike.
In 1994, he was elected leader of the legalized opposition Democratic Progressive Party. He was also elected legislator in three occasions. Shih's proposal of a political "Grand Reconciliation" in Taiwan earned him strong rejection from within the Democratic Progressive Party
, to which he resigned on November 14, 2000.
In 2006, Shih carried out a massive protest, known as Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must Go
, in an effort to force the embattled president Chen Shui-bian
to resign. He led an around the clock sit-in in front of the Presidential Building and Taipei Railway Station in Taipei City, pledging to remain there until such time as President Chen resigned, or the reached the end of his term in March 2008. On December 5, 2006, he left Taipei Railway Station pledging to continue the protest alone in "self-reclusion" at an apartment nearby. As of April 2007, this protest has ended.
Shih was one of the most prominent personalities of the Tangwai movement and greatly contributed to Taiwan's democratization. He had been referred to by some as "Taiwan's Mandela
".
.
In February 1947, Shih Ming-te witnessed the events in front of Kaohsiung Train Station that would later be known as the 228 Incident
. The students of three high and vocational schools were executed and charged as instigators in front of the eyes of a six year-old Shih Ming-duh.
In 1954 he entered Kaohsiung Junior High-School; in 1957 he entered Kaohsiung's Chung-Cheng Senior High. In 1959 he volunteered for the army, passing the admission exams for the artillery school. On occasion he vowed in public to overthrow the ROC government by force, through an armed coup d'état as an army officer. The same year his girlfriend gave birth to a daughter when he was 19.
In 1964 Shih Ming-te is sentenced to life imprisonment for orchestrating the independence movement, he was also stripped-off his civil rights for life. Shih was severely injured during interrogation, he lost all his teeth and his spine was damaged, consequently, he has been using dental prosthetics and suffering from back pain since he was 22.
The Kuomintang
considered Shih as highly dangerous and therefore prevented him from doing any forced labor that would put him in contact with the world outside prison. This gave him enough time to do research and study. Shih focused on philosophy, history, international law, linguistics and Japanese. He also developed a strong and resolute personality in prison.
In the 1970s, Taiwan government suffered several blows to its international status: first, its seat at the United Nations was taken over by the People's Republic of China, then the United States established official ties with Beijing, severing those with Taipei. A rebellion in the Taiyuan prison, where many of the inmates were political prisoners, was planned. Access to the Taitung radio station and a publicly broadcast a declaration of Taiwan's independence from China was one of their goals. Many all pro-independence prisoners took part in the plot. On February 8, 1970 five prisoners murdered a guard and tried to take his gun. Ultimately the five inmates broke from prison, only to be caught promptly. The breakout plot was foiled.
The Kuomintang believed Shih was one of the masterminds of the uprising, therefore kept him in isolation during his time in Taiyuan. To this date, the investigation documents are still kept confidential and the implication of Shih is disputed by Shih himself, who sued Lin Shu-chi for defamation.
In 1974, after 12 years of imprisonment, Shih's first wife Chen Li-chu asked for divorce: she had an affair with one of Shih's friends. In 1975 Chiang Kai-shek
died; a sentence-reduction policy is carried out. On June 16, 1977, Shih is released after only 15 years in prison serving a life sentence.
, Shih was named general manager. On December 10, 1979, this Tangwai group commemorates Human Rights Day
in Kaohsiung. The rally operated without prior approval with specific stipulation that no torches and weapons were allowed. It was interrupted by police forces, which clashed with the protestors. The event will be known as the Meilitao Incident
, a milestone in Taiwan's democratization process.
Three days later, Shih dramatically escapes: Chang Wen-ying (then a dentist and later Mayor of Taichung City) performs plastic surgery on Shih to change his looks. Shih was still caught along with the dentist sentenced to life in prison for the second time.
During the 1980 Meilitao Incident trials Shih is defiant and proud facing a potentially fatal Court Martial decision. He declares during his defense: "Taiwan should be independent, in fact, it already is, it has been for 30 years and currently it is known as Republic of China". Shih also demands an end to the political monopoly by the Kuomintang, the press control in Taiwan and the martial law, so that the 30-plus-year rubber stamped legislative session can be dissolved.
Taking a look at 40 years of his struggle for Taiwan's democracy, he reveals himself as a visionary; he made several pioneering proposals ahead of his time.
20 years ago Shih already said the four evils of Taiwan's path towards democracy were the political monopoly by the Kuomintang, the press control in Taiwan, the martial law and the "ten thousand year" legislative session. Risking death penalty, Shih advocated for a "Republic of China, Taiwanese Independence Model", and added that "Taiwan is already an independent country, it has been so for over 30 years". For his opinions, Shih was considered seditious and the media, organizations, academia, everyone attacked him and humiliated him, only for the Democratic Progressive Party to adopt and implement his ideas; they even led the way to Lee Teng-hui's "Silent Revolution" political compromises. When the Kuomintang's 50 years in power ended, the Chen Shui-bian administration accepted some of his teachings.
new edition. Taipei, Linking books.
• Shih Ming-te, 2002, "wu si de feng xian zhe (無私的奉獻者, The Selfless
Devotee)". Taipei, Commonwealth Publishing Group.
• New Taiwan Foundation, 2002, "yong yuan de zhu ti: shi mingde yu wei
jingsheng dui tan lu (永遠的主題：施明德與 魏京生 對談錄, A timeless theme: dialogs between Shih Ming-te and Wei Jingsheng)", Taipei, Linking books.
• Shih Ming-te, 2001, "yue du shi mingde (閱讀施明德, Readig Shih Ming-te)".
Taipei, New Taiwan Foundation.
• Shih Ming-te, 1988, "shih mingde de zheng zhi yi shu: mei li dao shi jian
jun fa da shen da bian quan wen (施明德的政治遺囑：美麗島事件軍法大審答辯全, Shih Ming-te's Political Testament: The Formosa Incident Hearings)". Taipei, Avanguard.
• Shih Ming-te, 1989, "qiu shi zhi chun (囚室之春, Spring in a Prison Cell)",
Kaohsiung, Tunli Publishing.
• Shih Ming-te, 1992, "qiu shi zhi chun: shi mingde san wen ji (囚室之春：施明德散文集, Spring in a Prison Cell: A Collection of Essays)". Taipei, Avangard.
• New Taiwan Foundation, 1995 "shi mingde guo hui san nian (施明德國會三年,Shih Ming-te's Three-year Term in the Legislative Yuan)". Taipei, New Taiwan Foundation.
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
) was a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
for 25-and-a-half years in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
He was arrested at the age of 21 in 1962 and charged with creating the "Taiwan Independence League" (a study group) with the intention of overthrowing the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government, Shih was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. The sentence was commuted to 15 years in 1975, and Shih was released on June 16, 1977.
He promptly joined the Tangwai
Tangwai
The Tangwai movement was a political movement in the Republic of China in the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Although the Kuomintang had allowed contested elections for a small number of seats in Legislative Yuan, opposition parties were still forbidden...
(literally meaning "outside the party", because the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
was the only legally existing political party in Taiwan at that time), became a reporter for the Liberty Times
Liberty Times
The Liberty Times is a newspaper published in Republic of China in Traditional Chinese. Founded by Lin Rong-San, it is published by the Liberty Times Group, which also publishes the English language newspaper the Taipei Times...
and married the American researcher Linda Gail Arrigo
Linda Arrigo
Linda Gail Arrigo is an American–Taiwanese political activist, human rights activist, and academic researcher. She has been the international affairs officer of Green Party Taiwan.-Biography:...
. After playing a part in organizing the December 10, 1979 pro-democracy rally subsequently known as the Kaohsiung Incident
Kaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
, (also known as the Formosa Incident or Meilitao Incident), an arrest warrant was issued charging Shih with treason, and following 26 days on the run he was again arrested and sentenced to life in prison. In 1984, while he was incarcerated, Polish politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
nominated him for Peace Prize.
On July 1987, Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
lifted martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and offered an amnesty to Shih, but he refused to accept. On May 20, 1990 he was finally released. In total, he spent 25 years in prison, 13 years in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
and over 4 years on hunger strike.
In 1994, he was elected leader of the legalized opposition Democratic Progressive Party. He was also elected legislator in three occasions. Shih's proposal of a political "Grand Reconciliation" in Taiwan earned him strong rejection from within the Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
, to which he resigned on November 14, 2000.
In 2006, Shih carried out a massive protest, known as Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must Go
Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go
Million Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go was a mass campaign led by former Democratic Progressive Party leader and Taiwanese politician Shih Ming-te to pressure Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian to resign.-Background:...
, in an effort to force the embattled president Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
to resign. He led an around the clock sit-in in front of the Presidential Building and Taipei Railway Station in Taipei City, pledging to remain there until such time as President Chen resigned, or the reached the end of his term in March 2008. On December 5, 2006, he left Taipei Railway Station pledging to continue the protest alone in "self-reclusion" at an apartment nearby. As of April 2007, this protest has ended.
Shih was one of the most prominent personalities of the Tangwai movement and greatly contributed to Taiwan's democratization. He had been referred to by some as "Taiwan's Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
".
Early years
Shih Ming-te's father Shih Kuo-tsui was a well-known practitioner of Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
.
In February 1947, Shih Ming-te witnessed the events in front of Kaohsiung Train Station that would later be known as the 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
. The students of three high and vocational schools were executed and charged as instigators in front of the eyes of a six year-old Shih Ming-duh.
In 1954 he entered Kaohsiung Junior High-School; in 1957 he entered Kaohsiung's Chung-Cheng Senior High. In 1959 he volunteered for the army, passing the admission exams for the artillery school. On occasion he vowed in public to overthrow the ROC government by force, through an armed coup d'état as an army officer. The same year his girlfriend gave birth to a daughter when he was 19.
First imprisonment
In 1962 he was arrested for alleged involvement in the "Taiwan Independence League", over 30 more "accomplices", mostly army officer school and university students, were also arrested. Shih's two brothers, poet and painter Shih Ming-cheng and medical school student Shih Ming-hsiung were among them.In 1964 Shih Ming-te is sentenced to life imprisonment for orchestrating the independence movement, he was also stripped-off his civil rights for life. Shih was severely injured during interrogation, he lost all his teeth and his spine was damaged, consequently, he has been using dental prosthetics and suffering from back pain since he was 22.
The Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
considered Shih as highly dangerous and therefore prevented him from doing any forced labor that would put him in contact with the world outside prison. This gave him enough time to do research and study. Shih focused on philosophy, history, international law, linguistics and Japanese. He also developed a strong and resolute personality in prison.
In the 1970s, Taiwan government suffered several blows to its international status: first, its seat at the United Nations was taken over by the People's Republic of China, then the United States established official ties with Beijing, severing those with Taipei. A rebellion in the Taiyuan prison, where many of the inmates were political prisoners, was planned. Access to the Taitung radio station and a publicly broadcast a declaration of Taiwan's independence from China was one of their goals. Many all pro-independence prisoners took part in the plot. On February 8, 1970 five prisoners murdered a guard and tried to take his gun. Ultimately the five inmates broke from prison, only to be caught promptly. The breakout plot was foiled.
The Kuomintang believed Shih was one of the masterminds of the uprising, therefore kept him in isolation during his time in Taiyuan. To this date, the investigation documents are still kept confidential and the implication of Shih is disputed by Shih himself, who sued Lin Shu-chi for defamation.
In 1974, after 12 years of imprisonment, Shih's first wife Chen Li-chu asked for divorce: she had an affair with one of Shih's friends. In 1975 Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
died; a sentence-reduction policy is carried out. On June 16, 1977, Shih is released after only 15 years in prison serving a life sentence.
Meilitao (Kaohsiung, Formosa) Incident
During the Chiang's last years, an authoritarian rule similar to Today's Communist Chinese government policy was imposed on Taiwan: there was no other opposing political parties may be granted. Shih Ming-te, created a "party without a name" amidst the absence of freedom of association in Taiwan at that time. On September 1978 Shih becomes the convener of the Tangwai or non-Kuomintang candidates. On May 1979 this group of non-Kuomintang activists established the Meilitao MagazineFormosa Magazine
Formosa Magazine was a magazine created by Tangwai individuals in Taiwan during the summer of 1979. It opposed the Kuomintang's political monopoly in the Republic of China government...
, Shih was named general manager. On December 10, 1979, this Tangwai group commemorates Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December.The date was chosen to honor the United NationsGeneral Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the first global enunciation of human rights...
in Kaohsiung. The rally operated without prior approval with specific stipulation that no torches and weapons were allowed. It was interrupted by police forces, which clashed with the protestors. The event will be known as the Meilitao Incident
Kaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
, a milestone in Taiwan's democratization process.
Three days later, Shih dramatically escapes: Chang Wen-ying (then a dentist and later Mayor of Taichung City) performs plastic surgery on Shih to change his looks. Shih was still caught along with the dentist sentenced to life in prison for the second time.
During the 1980 Meilitao Incident trials Shih is defiant and proud facing a potentially fatal Court Martial decision. He declares during his defense: "Taiwan should be independent, in fact, it already is, it has been for 30 years and currently it is known as Republic of China". Shih also demands an end to the political monopoly by the Kuomintang, the press control in Taiwan and the martial law, so that the 30-plus-year rubber stamped legislative session can be dissolved.
Second imprisonment and hunger strike
- 1983,Prof. Chen Wen-cheng is murdered; Shih Ming-te begins a 1-month hunger strike to protest what he believed to be an assassination ordered by the secret police.
- 1984, Polish union leader Lech WałęsaLech WałęsaLech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
(Nobel Peace 1983) nominates Shih Ming-te for the 1984 Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
.
- 1985, Shih commences an indefinite hunger strikeHunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
. His demands: an end to martial lawMartial lawMartial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and state-sponsored political murders, implementation of a democratic system and release of all Meilitao Incident political prisoners. Shih is sent to the Tri-Service General Hospital and underwent force-feedingForce-feedingForce-feeding is the practice of feeding a person or an animal against their will. "Gavage" is supplying a nutritional substance by means of a small plastic tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach, not explicitly 'forcibly'....
through a nasogastric tube during his four and half years of protest.
- July 15, 1987, a 38-year-long Martial Law was ended by the KMT Taiwan government. President Chiang Ching-kuo announced nationwide sentence reductions and conditional releases. Shih declined the offer.
- 1988, Shih Ming-te went on another hunger strike protest with his brother Shih Ming-cheng. His brother died from mal-nutrition. Shih survived.
Release
- May 20, 1990, Lee Teng-huiLee Teng-huiLee Teng-hui is a politician of the Republic of China . He was the 7th, 8th, and 9th-term President of the Republic of China and Chairman of the Kuomintang from 1988 to 2000. He presided over major advancements in democratic reforms including his own re-election which marked the first direct...
officially assumes the presidency and orders a special amnesty for all Meilitao Incident prisoners. Shih rips up his amnesty document and demands an unconditional release. When President Lee announces the invalidation of the Meilitao Trials, Shih Ming-te finally accepts his release as an innocent person. Upon recovering his freedom, he joins the now legal Democratic Progressive PartyDemocratic Progressive PartyThe Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
, which originated in the Tangwai movement.
- 1992, Shih is elected legislatorLegislatorA legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
for the Tainan County constituency.
- Between 1994 and 1996 Shih is elected president of the Democratic Progressive Party, during his tenure, he claimed that "Taiwan is already an independent and sovereign nation, when the Democratic Progressive Party is in power, there is no need and it will not announce Taiwan's independence". At the same time Shih proposed a political and social Grand Reconciliation. Elected legislator for a new term in 1996, he ran for the presidency of the Legislative Yuan, gaining a vote from former archrival New PartyNew PartyNew Party may refer to:* New Party * New Party Corrientes * New Party Japan* New Party * New Party * New Party - the party of Oswald Mosley...
but losing one from the Democratic Progressive Party. Liu Song-fan was elected President of the Legislative Yuan.
- March 1996, Taiwan's first direct presidential election is held. The Democratic Progressive Party's candidate is defeated by incumbent Lee Teng-hui. Shih Ming-te resigns to his position as party chief, Chang Chun-hsiung assumes as acting leader of the opposition party. Shih shifts his attention to the completion of the "Meilitao Oral HistoryOral historyOral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
Records".
- April 1, 1997, Shih is indicted for a violation to the Mass Gathering and Demonstration Act. He had organized in 1992 a protest demanding direct presidential elections. Huang Hsin-chie, Hsu Hsin-liangHsu Hsin-liangHsu Hsin-liang is a Taiwanese politician, formerly Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party . He was a supporter of the Pan-Blue Coalition from 2000 to 2008 but then supported the DPP in the 2008 presidential election.-Biography:...
and Lin Yi-hsiungLin Yi-hsiungLin Yi-hsiung who sued the ruling KMT party for electoral fraud. Lin was elected a member of Taiwan Provincial Assembly in Guo's old electorate in 1977.-Lin Family Massacre:...
go to prison with Shih for 50 days. This is the third time Shih is imprisoned, but now as a legislator. He is released after 41 days.
- 1998, Shih is re-elected legislator but this time representing a Taipei City constituency. He will continue his efforts for the completion of the "Meilitao Oral History Records". In three years, 200 individuals of the political spectrum. The oral testimonies amount to over 6 million words, and are edited to a 600,000 word four volume version. To date, this is the most comprehensive historical research of the 1970–1990 era in Taiwan's development, earning it a publishing prize. This was the result of Shih's individual efforts, using his own financial and personal resources. Neither the Democratic Progressive Party nor the government of Taiwan have helped complete this overwhelming historic research project.
- 2000, Chen Shui-bianChen Shui-bianChen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
is elected president. Shih congratulates the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party Lin Yi-hsiung for the triumph. He said in an interview that since his childhood dream of ousting the Chiang's KMT regime had been accomplished, he would leave the political party. In May, Chen before he assumed the presidency, visited Shih's office to personally ask him if he was willing to be appointed senior political advisor. Shih rejected Chen's offer once more, but instead proposed Hsu Hsin-liang for the position.
- Shih condemned President Chen for leading the country with a minority government, ignoring the KMT majority in the Legislative Yuan and risking political stability. After Chen rejected his suggestion for an alliance with the opposition majority in the Legislative Yuan, Shih further walked away from the party. Believing that Taiwan's greatest challenge in the 21st century was globalization, together with former colleagues Hsu Hsin-liang and Sisy ChenSisy ChenSisy Wen-hsien Chen is a Taiwanese politician and television commentator. She hosts Sisy's World News, a daily talk show at the KMT-owned China Television Corporation and UFO Dinner a daily radio talk show at the UFO Radio Station. She was an independent member of the Legislative Yuan from...
, famous Wen Shih-ren and a dozen others intellectuals and entrepreneurs, founded the "Shan (Mountain) Alliance". Their goal: to draw a road map for Taiwan in the 21st century.
- Shih ran as an independent twice, on December 2001 and December 2004. On the first occasion he lost with 24,925 votes, on the second he narrowly lost the race by receiving 26,974 votes in the highly contested Taipei North Constituency. He had proposed a parliamentary political system to overcome the aggravation of political differences in Taiwan's society.
- 2002, Shih ran as Mayor candidate for Kaohsiung City. His platform: turn the port-city into a free portFree portA free port or free zone , sometimes also called a bonded area is a port, port area or other area with relaxed jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
, much like Hong Kong or AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, to cope with the challenge of globalizationGlobalizationGlobalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
. Direct maritime links with Chinese ports was also part of the proposal. Shih perceived that the political divide was so severe that he decided to announce his withdrawal three days before the election.
- September 2003, Shih Ming-te is visiting scholar at George Mason University for a one-year period. During his tenure, Shih researched what he called the "One China: European Union Model" as a means of ending the impasse between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and reiterates his proposal for a constitutional amendment in favor of a parliamentary system, in an attempt to put an end to the political polarization into the two camps (blue or Kuomintang-based and green or Democratic Progressive Party-centered) which was deteriorating into ethnic rivalry between Chinese refugees coming to rule Taiwan in 1949, and those who were there before that time.
- October 6, 2005, the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University opens the "Shih Ming-te Lecture"series; ethnic harmony, political reconciliation and cross-Strait peace are its core values.
- May, 2006, "Shih Ming-te Lecture" invites Mr. Frederik Willem de KlerkFrederik Willem de KlerkFrederik Willem de Klerk , often known as F. W. de Klerk, is the former seventh and last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994...
, Former President of South Africa, to a dialog with Shih Ming-te: "Maintaining Peace: South Africa's Experience, a Perspective for Taiwan?" is the topic.
Chronology
- August 9, 2006, Shih Ming-te wrote an open letter to President Chen Shui-bianChen Shui-bianChen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
, whose aides, wife and son-in-law are implicated in several corruption cases. Shih urges Chen to resign as a display of strength in times of crisis, respect for public opinion and acknowledgement of wrongdoing. Ironically, Chen Shui-bian had been Shih's defense attorney in the aftermath of the Kaohsiung IncidentKaohsiung IncidentThe Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
and had been imprisoned for 18 months himself. - August 12, 2006, Shih Ming-te gives a keynote speech to kick-start the "Million Voices Against Corruption-Chen Must Go" campaign in the 228 Incident Memorial Park. He argued that the people could not bear with so much corruption anymore. Shih asks all those who support the movement a NT$ 100 (US$ 3, €2.3) donation as a symbol of commitment and consent, as well as a display of determination to ask Chen Shui-bian to leave the Presidential Office. Shih vowed to lead the people in a protest until Chen Shui-bian steps down if the donations came in.
- August 22, 2006, In seven working days, a sum equivalent of that from over 1 million people had been received (the actual number of donators cannot be computed because there was no restriction on the maximum amount of money one could transfer to the designated account). The designated account was quickly closed and the preparations for the marathon protest started.
- September 1, 2006, the anti-corruption campaign organizers start training for the sit-ins (emergency procedures in case of police intervention).
- September 9, 2006, the sit-in begins on a rainy day. According to the Chinapost, over 3 hundred thousand people gathered that day on Ketagalan Avenue, in front of the Presidential Building in Taipei under the pouring rain. The Taipei Police Department claims there were only 1 hundred thousand protestors. According to the organizers' request, most of them were wearing red shirts, no controversial flags or political icons should be displayed, not even the Republic of China flag, perceived as a pro-Kuomintang device. Some protestors still brought along a small Republic of China flag or campaign items with them.
- September 15, 2006, a Democratic Progressive Party Taipei city counselor had booked the Ketagalan Avenue site where the red-clad protestors were still gathered. Shih Ming-te decides to move the protest to Taipei Railway Station. A climax is reached the night of the procession: a large perimeter of over 5.5 kilometers around the heavily guarded Presidential Building and Residence at the heart of Taipei was quickly flooded by peaceful red-clad protestors: the Chinapost reported that over 8 hundred thousand people had joined the candlelight encirclement; the Taipei Police again contradict this with an estimate of 3 hundred thousand.
- September 22, 2006, Shih Ming-te declares that he will not form his own political party nor participate in any political negotiations, he also made it clear that he was not willing to engage in negotiations with former president Lee Teng-hui; instead he will stay with the red-clad anti-Chen protestors.
- November 20, 2006, Shih Ming-te urges Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeouMa Ying-jeouMa Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
(the Kuomintang's 2008 presidential hopeful) to resign amidst accusations of corruption. Shih says he was not contemplating anti-corruption protests against Ma, but insists there should not be double standards regarding corruption allegations. Ma was acquitted. - November 30, 2006, last night of protest by the Million Voices Against Corruption, Chen Must Go Campaign. Shih Ming-te later travels to Thailand for a TV interview and panel discussion.
- December 7, 2006, the Special State Funds case of President Chen and his wife is underway, campaign organizers claim that Taiwan needs to go back to normal, but Shih will protest until Chen steps down. Taipei.
- April 1, 2007, Shih Ming-te announces the end to his self-imprisonment and starts preparations for the second stage of the anti-Chen campaign. Plans involve presenting candidates for the next legislative elections. Originally schedduled for late 2007, the elections will instead be carried out in early 2008.
Controversy
- Shih is often considered a "romantic revolutionary" in Taiwan media. He believes that he is rooted in his ability to "to pursue unlimited aspirations and ideals under restrictive conditions".
- The last edition of Taiwan's High-School textbooks lists Shih Ming-te as a political activists.
- Shih's former Legislative Yuan secretary, cartoonist and writer Yu-fu thinks Shih "is never quite sure of his own place in history"
- Shih is accused by his ex-wife Chen, Li Zhu, in her book, "The Innocent Song of a Taiwanese Woman," of using her as a sex toy, and failing his responsibility as a husband. Chen also claimed Shih been indifferent to his responsibility toward their daughter.
- Shih Ming-te often says: "I have been locked up for 25 years, where were you then?".
- Another former secretary of Shih, Kuo Wen-pin, wrote about his opinion of Shih on Taiwan Daily (October 15, 2000):
Taking a look at 40 years of his struggle for Taiwan's democracy, he reveals himself as a visionary; he made several pioneering proposals ahead of his time.
20 years ago Shih already said the four evils of Taiwan's path towards democracy were the political monopoly by the Kuomintang, the press control in Taiwan, the martial law and the "ten thousand year" legislative session. Risking death penalty, Shih advocated for a "Republic of China, Taiwanese Independence Model", and added that "Taiwan is already an independent country, it has been so for over 30 years". For his opinions, Shih was considered seditious and the media, organizations, academia, everyone attacked him and humiliated him, only for the Democratic Progressive Party to adopt and implement his ideas; they even led the way to Lee Teng-hui's "Silent Revolution" political compromises. When the Kuomintang's 50 years in power ended, the Chen Shui-bian administration accepted some of his teachings.
- Arrests and repression are no longer the defensive measures of the regime when facing harsh criticism, but the abuse of public power, media by individuals to insult, humiliate, and swear at others is still common practice. DDP party has vowed to improve its image with more diplomatic means has yet remain to be seen.
- In the aftermath of Shih's "red-shirt" movement, he became a darling of PRC controlled media, including CCTV，Phoenix TV, and People's Daily. Shih's efforts in discrediting the DPP are widely praised and reported by various media outlets controlled or owned by the Chinese Government.
- On November 20, 2006, ifeng.com, web portal of pro-CCP television channel Phoenix TV, reported Shih planned a trip to Thailand to discuss his "red shirt" philosophy. In the same article, Shih also rebutted claims by representative of the American Institute in Taiwan that the red shirts instigated violence and caused social upheaval.
- On January 16, 2010, chinanews.com.cn, a PRC media outlet, reported the possibility of Shih running for presidency in 2012.
- On April 19, 2010, www.chinataiwan.org, a Chinese government sponsored site, reported Shih claimed numerous prominent DDP leaders, including Shui Bian Chen and Chang Ting Hsieh, were undercover agents for the Kuomingtang against political dissidents during the 1980s. According to Huaxia.com, yet another pro-CCP website, Shih's accusations have caused a general panic in the DDP. A former supporter and Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, Wang, Jie Nan, wrote an opinion piece highlighting his disappointment with Shih, starting from Shih's "red shirt" movement and his subsequent efforts to undermine the DPP with outlandish accusations.
- On April 17, 2011, Shih courted controversy when he asked Tsai Ing-WenTsai Ing-wenTsai Ing-wen is the current chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. Studying in Taiwan, the U.S and the U.K. Tsai earned an LL.B. from National Taiwan University, an LL.M. from Cornell University Law School and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics....
to publicly disclose her sexual orientation before she participated in her presidential bid. Despite his own support for LGBT rights in TaiwanLGBT rights in TaiwanThe Republic of China is one of Asia's most progressive countries as far as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights are concerned, not only since the government introduced same-sex marriage in 2003 , the first country in Asia to do so...
, Shih was roundly criticized by major women's groups including the Awakening Foundation, the Taiwan Women's Link and the Taiwan Gender Equity Education Association. Tsai herself characterized the request as "surprising" and refused to reply.
Works
• Shih Ming-te, 2006, "qui shi zhi chun (囚室之春, Spring in a Prison Cell)",new edition. Taipei, Linking books.
• Shih Ming-te, 2002, "wu si de feng xian zhe (無私的奉獻者, The Selfless
Devotee)". Taipei, Commonwealth Publishing Group.
• New Taiwan Foundation, 2002, "yong yuan de zhu ti: shi mingde yu wei
jingsheng dui tan lu (永遠的主題：施明德與 魏京生 對談錄, A timeless theme: dialogs between Shih Ming-te and Wei Jingsheng)", Taipei, Linking books.
• Shih Ming-te, 2001, "yue du shi mingde (閱讀施明德, Readig Shih Ming-te)".
Taipei, New Taiwan Foundation.
• Shih Ming-te, 1988, "shih mingde de zheng zhi yi shu: mei li dao shi jian
jun fa da shen da bian quan wen (施明德的政治遺囑：美麗島事件軍法大審答辯全, Shih Ming-te's Political Testament: The Formosa Incident Hearings)". Taipei, Avanguard.
• Shih Ming-te, 1989, "qiu shi zhi chun (囚室之春, Spring in a Prison Cell)",
Kaohsiung, Tunli Publishing.
• Shih Ming-te, 1992, "qiu shi zhi chun: shi mingde san wen ji (囚室之春：施明德散文集, Spring in a Prison Cell: A Collection of Essays)". Taipei, Avangard.
• New Taiwan Foundation, 1995 "shi mingde guo hui san nian (施明德國會三年,Shih Ming-te's Three-year Term in the Legislative Yuan)". Taipei, New Taiwan Foundation.
See also
- Politics of the Republic of ChinaPolitics of the Republic of ChinaThe politics of the Republic of China ,takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is head of state and the premier is head of government, and of a dominant party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative...
- Kaohsiung IncidentKaohsiung IncidentThe Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
- Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must GoMillion Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must GoMillion Voices against Corruption, President Chen Must Go was a mass campaign led by former Democratic Progressive Party leader and Taiwanese politician Shih Ming-te to pressure Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian to resign.-Background:...
Further reading
- Chee Soon Juan, 1998, 《To be Free – stories from Asia's Struggle against Oppression》Australia, Monash Asia Institute Monash University
- 陳素卿，2004，《監禁環境的人格研究：以監獄文學為例》。南華大學文學研究所碩士論文。
- 古淑芳，1999，《台灣黨外運動(1977–1986)：以黨外言論為中心之研究》。國立台灣師範大學歷史研究所碩士論文。
- 黃惠君整理，黃惠君、韋本採訪，1999，〈施明德〉，見新台灣文教基金會美麗島事件口述歷史編輯小組編，《走向美麗島：戰後反對意識的萌芽》，頁48–60。台北：時報文化。
- 馬一龍，1998，〈Shih Ming-teh Turns Paper to Money〉；見馬一龍，《Taiwan Personalities 台灣群英錄：一位外籍記者的訪談》，頁129-32。台北：書林出版有限公司。
- 施明雄，1998a，《白色恐怖黑暗時代台灣人受難史》。台北：前衛。
- 施明雄，1998b，《施家三兄弟的故事》。台北：前衛。
- 徐瑛君，2003，《媒體呈現之候選人形象定位策略研究：以2002年高雄市長選舉為例》。世新大學傳播研究所碩士論文。
- 張為清編著，1980，《施明德落網記》。台北：大東方。
- 中央研究院近代史研究所《口述歷史》編輯委員會，2000，《口述歷史》第10期：〈蘇東啟政治案件專輯〉。台北：中央研究院近代史研究所。