A well educated lawyer should be familiar with code of law and precedent, licensed by the government to fight for their clients and well-respected by the society. However, there is a layer titled by nickname of JingFa YouWu, published a letter on August 4 with title: "It is difficult for me to accept Lee Teng-hui as Mr. Democracy." Maybe he has good understanding of meditation that “name is not eternal”, so he hide his name as anonymous. But, why he cares so much the honor of Mr. Democracy given by the Time Magazine, US Secretary of State Pompeo, and many worldwide Taiwanese to remember former President LTH? During the first seven days of Lee’s death, he wrote an article to criticize Mr. Democracy, which raised doubts about whether the lawyer was just arranging words, or was he speaking for whom?
Former President LTH completed his last journey on July 30. He was born on January 15, 1923. He spent a total of 35,641 days. His actual age is 97 years, 6 months, and 15 days. He was born in the era when Japan ruled Taiwan, was transitioned to the authoritarian era of the ROC after WWII, and finally died in the era of Taiwanese democracy built by his own hands. His life spans three different cultural social backgrounds and is a microcosm of typical Taiwanese modern history.
His Presidency works thrillingly at every step
In an unexpected opportunity, he took over power on January 13, 1988, succeeding Chiang Ching-kuo’s seventh term as President of the ROC, and then took over the eighth term as President on May 20, 1990. May 20, 1996 he swore in as the first elected president of Taiwan and ended his presidency on May 20, 2000, when he personally handed over Taiwan’s power to Chen Shui-bian.
Perhaps due to the balance of provincial status, Hsieh Tung-min served as the sixth vice president appointed by CCK from 1978 to 1984, and LTH took over as the seventh VP in 1984. It is believed that CCK was not optimistic at first, and LTH has the ability to carry the president's important tasks. Because the party, government and army at that time were controlled by Lee Huan, Yu Kuo-hua, Hao Bei-chun, and others, LTH was really asked how he would make a breakthrough. Fortunately, who knew that LTH was able to fully understand state affairs during his three ears and seven months service as VP. So after CCK passed away, it can be seamlessly integrated. In an environment where the party, government, and army were completely controlled by senior KMT members, LTH had no any help but challenged by student strike and opposition party. It is truly thrilling as risky as working under the mouth of a ferocious tiger, not what lawyer said, "Enjoy the salary of the party-state system having an easy life. Fortunately, after entering the situation, he managed to settle the party, government and army one by one. I believe he had already realized that under the authoritarian system, the feudal government could not keep up with the times and bring Taiwan into line with the international community, so he launched the direct vote parliament and terminated the unlimited term of national assemblyman.
President LTH’s 12 years in power
Chiang Kai-shek escaped to Taiwan after the China Civil War. Although he had already stepped down, he declared to resume power to rule the exiled government. In order to enhance its legitimacy, he relied on those who followed him and fled to Taiwan to defend the illusion of legality. This has strangled the universal equal value of basic human rights, and created the confusion and privileges of provincial nationality. At that time, there were even people who regarded themselves as central-level citizens. Fortunately, after LTH entered the core of power, they were removed one by one and disintegrated. Reviewing back at his twelve years in power as the presidency, the steep step by step is scary and troubling with cold sweat.
1988: Overcoming the challenges of Song Meiling's "old stems and new branches", and smoothly
got into the core of the KMT.
1989: Responding to Cheng Nan-jung's claims, promoting freedom of speech and freedom of the
press, releasing Chang Hsueh-liang and Sun Li-jen under house arrest, and condemning
the CCP Tiananmen atrocities.
1990: Convened a meeting of the national government, in line with the Wild Lily student
movement promised to terminate the unlimited term of national assemblymen, and
appointed Hau Pei-tsun as Premier to replace Lee Huan, Huang Xinjie said "President
LTH is wise" after visit, launched the Southbound Policy.
1991: Abolish the "temporary clauses for the mobilization of rebellion" and officially lift the
martial law, amend the constitution, terminate all unlimited term national assemblymen.
1992: Discuss the electoral votes and popular votes, and full re-election of the national assembly,
formulate regulations on relations between people across the Straits, SEF and ARATS
meeting, revoke the wanted order then Peng Mingmin returned to Taiwan, and abolished
Article 100 of the Criminal Law truly carried out the lifting of the martial law.
1993: The KMT mainstream faction rises, the non-mainstream faction leaves to form a new party,
appoints Lien Chan to replace Hau Pei-chun as the premier, Koo-Wang first meeting.
1994: The National Assembly passed a resolution to popular vote the president, promoted the
WTCC, abolished the power of premier’s endorsement, the governor & Taipei-Kaohsiung
manorial elections, and the Qiandao Lake incident angered the CCP call it bandit.
1995: Pragmatic Diplomacy, Cornell University's speech "What the people want is always in my
heart", PLA missile attacks, the universal healthcare.
1996: The second phase of the PLA's missile attacks, Taiwan first popular voted president, and
proposed the cross-strait "no haste, be patient" policy.
1997: HK return to China, the policy of optimizing soldiers and disarmament, the World Friends
of president LTH was established in Panama.
1998: refined province and Taiwan province was de-classified, the second Koo-Wang talks.
1999: Two-state theory, Taiwan and China with special state to state relationship, defining the
ROC in Taiwan, Regionalism China in 7 parts, James Song scandal, the 921 earthquake.
2000: Peaceful transaction of power, personally handed it over to Chen Shui-bian to complete the
party politics, transferred power in his lifetime, then waved hand to say goodbye.
Taiwan needs all people to participate in founding a nation
The lawyer said that it was CCK’s political credit and many political advocators’ efforts to lift the martial laws, release party ban, media ban. And LTH has nothing to do with it but enjoying the salary of high-ranking officials within the party-state system, not worthy of being called Mr. Democracy. He then criticized Lee for not being worthy of being called the father of Taiwan independence, saying that he himself has repeatedly shown to the media that he has never mentioned Taiwan independence. The implication seems to blame that CCK failed to pick a right successor who only knows to enjoy the official salary. Yes, it is true that LTH has never advocated "Taiwan independence" because he believes that Taiwan is already substantively independent. It seems that what lawyers see is different from others, thinking that Taiwan will become a country by calling for Taiwan independence. In fact, there is a long gap between independence and founding a nation. Taiwan does not belong to China, so why does it require China to agree to Taiwan’s independence? To whom should independence be demanded, and where should independence come from? What we need by all Taiwanese’s efforts is to build a nation of freedom, democracy, human rights, and legally sovereign. We should focus on how to promote Taiwan to a normal country after WWII. Although LTH did not lead the establishment of Taiwan in his lifetime, he did tell the world very clearly that Taiwan does not belong to China, and that it has a special relationship with China, nation to nation. He chose to stay away from China in the Great Wall of Taiwan History. Facts have proved that his original insistence allowed the high-end technology industry to stay in Taiwan and stabilized Taiwan in this wave of US-China trade wars and kept the lifeline of his homeland.
Politics is a human science that cannot be experimented. It must rely on leaders' wise judgments, decisive and clear action, and rely on keen vision and willpower. The 1988 freezing province policy caused James Soong's counterattack. It obviously that Song was not pro Taiwan, but only wanted to use the law to take power. Song thought he was a master of Chinese power struggle, could easily to bring down Lien Chan, Chen Sui-bian and even LTH. Therefore, he rejected LTH's plan for Lien and Soong couples of presidential campaign. Misjudgment the situation, from 2000 to 2020, he failed 5 times out of six presidential elections. Perhaps it should be said that God bless Taiwan so that Taiwan can implement the political rotation of political parties and the smooth and peaceful transfer of power. Unlike in China, when dynasties changed, it has always been to eradicate the roots. Taiwan will eventually be able to move forward on the foundation laid by LTH, step out of the Chinese framework break away from authoritarianism and move towards democracy.
Identity is Taiwan national consensus
However, in the lawyer's article, LTH was described by him as "a political chameleon rising all the way in the KMT. Contemporaries’ elites were either killed or fleeing (for example, Peng Mingmin). He was a "government employee paid by taxpayer." When others read any Marxist book would be killed, but he not only joined the Communist Party also gain favor. Under the dictatorship promoted him all the way" Opportunistic lucky person. He also asserted that when the DPP was defeated in 2008, it was the retired Lin Yee-hsiung who tried to persuade Tsai Ing-wen to run for the chairmanship of the DPP, and that the DPP got leader and Taiwan was lucky.
Well, the facts are in front of us. Tsai Ing-wen is the drafter of the two-state theory, and of course she inherited some political views and theoretical foundations. LTH revoked Peng Mingmin’s arrest warrant in 1992. They both competed on the same stage of the first Taiwanese presidential election in 2000. After a ballot showdown, the people of Taiwan chose LTH. His philosophy of governing the country is to sincerely hope that in addition to DPP, there will be other local political parties to conduct healthy competition, supervision, and checks and balances for the future of Taiwan. His philosophy of employing people is based on the merits, regardless of provincial origin, only recognition makes differences. Look at how many Taiwanese people choose to recognize with China. How many young generations of outlanders have chosen to identify themselves with Taiwan, now talking about provincial origin is really outdated.
Father of Taiwan’s Democracy
Attorney JingFa YouWu's conclusion: "I believe that he is strong-willed; I agree that he is a master of strategy; I can also accept that he is the former chairman of the KMT who has Taiwanese and Japanese feelings. But said He is Mr. Democracy, the father of Taiwan, which is really hard to agree with." The wandering attorney needs to be enlightened. Peng Mingmin realized early that in his article of LTH and me, he said, "During the period of economic, political, cultural, and social transformation of various parties in Taiwan, he stood at a critical point in the process. The success of the ruling power has great tangible and intangible contributions. Taiwan’s history will certainly occupy a great position forever." Nobuo Kishi, the younger brother of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, praised former President Lee as "the father of Taiwan’s democracy and a great philosopher in Asia." Li Er said, "What people teach, I also teach it. The violent and fierce cannot die a natural death. I will become the father of teaching." World Forum said: "His will pass through Taiwan, and leading into the world; He has vision is indeed our Godfather, therefore respecting him as Mr. Democracy and Father of Taiwan."
If Taiwanese society removes the 12 years of LTH’s administration, it may still rely on the breath and drips of those unlimited term of national assemblymen today. If the presidential election in January this year was won by Han Kuo-yu, Taiwan today might have been dragged down by China's Wuhan pneumonia. Some politicians on the table started out loudly clamoring why we did not rescue China to donate masks. They are all grand-sounding principles. Fortunately, Tsai Ing-wen has inherited LTH’s spirit of abstaining from haste, be patient, and defended Taiwan. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar have come to Taiwan to mourn former President LTH. Thanks!
LTH RIP Father of Taiwan
At this moment, overseas Taiwanese around the world are still remembering, missing former President LTH's contribution, dedication and guidance for Taiwan during the funeral. I would like to express my condolences and remembrance with a deep heart!
Enter the big era, create Formosa Taiwan
Widening the road of democracy, head up marching into the world
~~~
Risking into tiger’s mouth to protect the platform for the whole people
Brilliant will dominates having equalization across the Taiwan Strait
Always reform the founding prophet of the world
Leader of the referendum on the new constitution respecting him as Father of Taiwan
~~~
Top leader democratized Taiwan is ready for new nation
His glory is endless shinning the world respected as Godfather.
