《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》‘Freedom of speech day’ declared

By Sean Lin and Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporters

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je （柯文哲） yesterday announced that April 7 has been designated as Taipei’s “Freedom of Speech Day” in honor of democracy advocate Deng Nan-jung （鄭南榕）, who died in defense of “100 percent freedom of expression.”

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On April 7, 1989, Deng, the then-editor-in-chief of Freedom Era Weekly （自由時代週刊）, set himself on fire as heavily armed police attempted to break into his office, following 71 days of self-imposed isolation after he was charged with sedition over a draft “Republic of Taiwan [ROC] Constitution” published in the magazine in 1988.

Ko made the announcement at an exhibition organized by the city government’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

The exhibition is outside of the office where Deng died, and has both historic and educational significance, as it tells the story of Deng’s fight for democracy and freedom, Ko said.

“I have been in there [the office]. Though it has been more than 20 years, the place still smells of gasoline. It serves as a constant reminder to people that they should not take democracy and freedom for granted, as they came with the devotion and sacrifice of many,” the mayor said.

“Freedom and democracy have become a natural part of everyday life. However, nothing was ‘natural’ during the fight for them,” Ko said.

He said that history is a continuous process based upon the hard work and achievements of our ancestors, and that he had often pondered how he would like Taiwan to be for future generations.

The exhibition at the office site, which is known as the Deng Nan-jung Memorial Museum, includes photographs by Song Long-chyuan （宋隆泉）, one of the nation’s best known photographers. The exhibition of Song’s photographs, the first in his 35-year career, shows not only Taiwan’s progression toward democratization, but also the nation’s disapearing landscape.

“My photographic exhibition is titled ‘Existence and Non-Existence’ （存在不存在） because in my works you could see things that no longer exist — like the cow market in Yunlin County’s Beigang Township （北港） in 1980 — or things that are still in existence today,” Song said, pointing at one of the montages on display.

Song’s display features 11 montages, with each consisting of six to 11 photographs on one subject.

Besides the traditional cow market, known as gu hi （牛墟） in Hoklo （also known as “Taiwanese”）, themes included outdoor Taiwanese opera theater in Song’s native Yilan County — which is considered the birthplace of Taiwanese opera — as well as key demonstrations in Taiwan’s democratization process and social movements in the 1980s and the 1990s.

Former premier Frank Hsie （謝長廷）, who was an activist during the Martial Law era, said the photos reminded him of how the people fought for the freedom that they enjoy today.

Hsieh said that, though he had played a part in the pro-democracy movement, he had forgotten many details.

“That is why it is so good to have Song, who recorded everything for us,” he said.

Deng’s widow, Yeh Chu-lan （葉菊蘭）, said that memories would eventually blur, but photographs would help to keep them fresh.

The exhibition runs until Dec. 26 on the 3rd Floor, No. 11, Alley 3, Lane 106, Minquan E. Rd, Sec. 3. from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday and admission is free.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES