Taiwan Church News 3254 Edition July 7 - July 13, 2014 Headline News By A Memorial Music Concert, Dr. Chen Wen-chen Is Commemorated On His Contribution To Taiwan's Democracy Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong In the early morning, on July 3rd 1981, Dr, Chen Wen-chen, a very young and talented mathematics professor of Carnegie-Mellon Univ., was found brutally murdered and lied beside National Taiwan University's Graduate Library. To commemorate this passionate and brave fighter for Taiwan's democracy, Dr. Chen Wen-chen's Memorial Foundations held a musical concert, called "Melody of Island Country", inviting Homeland Chamber Ensemble to present their performance and commemorate Dr. Chen on July 5that Taipei's Civil Service Development Institute. Ms Chen Pao-yueh, senior sister of Chen Wen-chen and also the Managing Director of Dr Chen Wen-chen's Memorial Foundations, remarked sadly that the reason why this hideous assassination of Chen Wen-chen still cannot achieve the justice is due to a confused ethical standard and a weak sense of self-autonomy within Taiwansociety, not to mention a common desire to establish an independent state. In other words, it could be attributed to a slavery mentality resulted from Taiwan's long term occupation by colonial powers. "As an independent and sovereign nation, Taiwan's legal status as a state is a fact beyond doubt. Taiwan, with her 23 millions people, does not have to decide whether they want to be an independent country or not", said Ms Chen Pao-yueh. The decision Taiwan has to make is what kinds of government they want to bring them the greatest prosperity and well-fare. And such legitimate ideal and goal, in a same spirit with the Sunflower Student Movement this March, is analogous to what Dr. Chen Wen-chen is after. Mr Liu Pin-suo, President of Dr Chen Wen-chen's Memorial Foundations, points out that the Sunflower Student Movement is in essence a people's warfare: protecting Taiwan's democratic freedom and human rights, protesting against a politico-economical take-over from China, and preventing generations of Taiwanese to become slaves for the Chinese empire. And the brave spirit shown by the students to occupy the Taiwan congress, demonstrating the determination to seek democracy, freedom and independence within the international communities, is just like the fearless spirit of Dr. Chen Wen-chen bequeathed to Taiwan society. No justice, no future. The Board of Directors of Dr. Chen Wen-chen's Memorial Foundations unanimously expresses that the politically assassination case of Dr. Chen Wen-chen is not yet over, though there is a statue of limitation of 30 years in Taiwan's criminal law. Because Chen's case is not like the common homicide cases, but a case with serious human rights infringement,related to the higher level violence from the state. Either morally or politically, there is no statue of limitation for such infringement of human rights by corporate state violence. After lifting martial law in 1987, Taiwan has entered a new era of neo-authoritarianism since Ma Ying-jeou regime hesitantly passed many China-inclined economical agreements without the approval from Taiwan society. Such repugnant state violence does not get a serious response from Taiwan people, as the ideal of justice seems still too much blurred, vulnerable and far-fetched. And we have reasons to believe that the unjust state power and interference would flood into Taiwan society soon! Translated by Peter Wolfe |