Taiwan Church News
3464 Edition
16-22 July, 2018
Topical News A Book Launch Of Todes Märsche – From A Prodigy To A Treason Prisoner: A Life Of Dr Soo Iú-PhíngIn Mid-July Reported by Chen Yi-fan To commemorate Taiwan’s lifting martial law 31 years ago on 15 July 1987, a book launch of Todes Märsche – From A Prodigy To A Treason Prisoner: A Life Of Dr Soo Iú-Phíng is specially held at Tainan bookstore of Taiwan Church Press in the afternoon on 14 July 2018. Except Mr. Kong Chao-shun, author of Todes Märsche, several guests are invited to share their thoughts about this book, including Prof Chen Yi-shen(Associate Research Fellow of Institute of Modern History of Academia Sinica), Mr Tsai Kun-lin(political victim under KMT’s White Terror ruling), Ms Lin Yih-ying(former chairwoman of NCKU’s student club – 02 Association) and Ms Hwang Tsung-lan(the youngest daughter of Dr Hwang Wen-kong, who was arbitrarily re-sentenced to death by Chiang Kai-sheik after receiving a sentence of 15 years at the first trial). In the beginning of the 1950s, just because of carrying the book of “A Madman’s Diary” by the Chinese writer Lu Xun, Dr Soo Iú-Phíng was therefore deprived of his youth – most golden youth 10 years – and got trapped into a series of persecutions: secret arrest, custody, trial, exile to labor camp at Green Island and etc. Starting from a renowned prodigy, through a talented and prospective young doctor, and finally as a treason prisoner, the tears and outcries of Dr Soo Iú-Phíng’s life story reflects a similar fate of modern history of Taiwan. During his interviewing, recording and editing Todes Märsche, Mr. Kong Chao-shun, as the author and also a nephew of Dr Soo Iú-Phíng, was advised by the book’s protagonist: ”Of course you should write down my story. You have to make this story well known to everybody. It’s a part of Taiwan’s tragic history which nobody should forget!”. During the book launch, Mr Kong Chao-shun described how his big family history was dig out and clarified via writing this semi-autobiography of Dr Soo. Noteworthy, the persecutions of 8 other political victims, who were high school classmates of Dr Soo at then Tainan Second Senior High School(now Tainan First Senior High School) in the white terror period of the 1950s, are also detailed in this book. In addition, the complicated relationships between KMT’s affiliated agencies then, like Military Information Agency, Martial Law Department and New Life Disciplinary Division on Green Island Prison, were clearly shown via a big help from Dr Soo’s good friends: Tsai Kun-lin and Young Kuo-yu. Translated by Peter Wolfe |