Democracy pioneer Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) died on Friday last week at the age of 98. Many people have forgotten that Peng, as well as pursuing the independence and democratization of Taiwan, was also an authority on international law. He was a professor in the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University (NTU) from 1957 to 1964, serving as the youngest-ever head of the department from 1961 to 1962.
However, he lost his teaching position for drafting the Declaration of Formosan Self-Salvation. Peng strove for freedom and democracy, but lost his professorship as a result. This was a blatant injustice,
The recent passing of Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) marks the end of an era, the era of three Taiwanese colonial greats, namely Su Beng (史明), Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and Peng.
These greats did not grow up in a vacuum and so it is ironically appropriate that the special exhibit, “Lumiere, the Enlightenment and Self-Awakening of Taiwanese Culture,” is currently touring Taiwan.
The exhibit presents the purpose, goals and works of the Taiwan Cultural Association, founded on Oct. 17, 1921, and shows the strong developing homegrown Taiwanese identity and desire for democracy (then representation in the Japanese Diet) that Su (Nov.
The passing of professor Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) on Thursday brings back many memories.
Peng was one of the early pioneers in Taiwan’s democracy and independence movement, who inspired many people like myself and my wife to work for Taiwan’s future as a full and equal member of the international community.
Our own story as activists in support of Taiwan began in 1973, when I read Peng’s A Taste of Freedom, in which he recounted his life story, interwoven with Taiwan’s history.
It was a gripping read that awoke my sense of anger at the injustice that Taiwanese were experiencing at the
Taipei, April 8 (CNA) Peng Ming-min (彭明敏), a political dissident turned presidential candidate whose life mirrored Taiwan's transition from an authoritarian state to a democracy, has died at the age of 98.
‘SPIRITUAL LEADER’: Peng lived in exile abroad for his pro-democracy writings, before retuning in the 1990s and running as the DPP’s first presidential candidate in 1996By Huang Chia-lin and Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA