Taipei Times
Date: Apr 08, 2017
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
Marking the nation’s first Freedom of Speech Day, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文)
President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a ceremony commemorating the 28th anniversary of the death of democracy pioneer Deng Nan-jung at his tomb in New Taipei City’s Jinbaoshan Cemetery yesterday. Photo: CNA
yesterday pledged to continue fighting for Taiwan’s “people of democracy and freedom.”
Tsai made the remarks during a ceremony commemorating the 28th anniversary of the death of democracy pioneer Deng Nan-jung (鄭南榕) at his tomb in New Taipei City’s Jinbaoshan Cemetery. Deng’s widow, former Presidential Office secretary-general Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭), was at the event.
Deng, who ran a number of dissident magazines, self-immolated on April 7, 1989, in protest against government restrictions on freedom of speech. In December last year, the Tsai administration designated April 7 as Freedom of Speech Day to honor Deng’s pursuit of freedom of expression.
“When Deng immolated himself in 1989, many things were left undone. At the time, the National Assembly had yet to be re-elected and there were no direct presidential elections, while Article 100 of the Criminal Code and the Punishment of Rebellion Act (懲治叛亂條例) restricted people’s freedom of speech,” Tsai said. [FULL STORY]
