Taiwan independence activist Koo Kwang-ming dies aged 96

2023-02-27

Taiwan independence activist and Presidential Office adviser Koo Kwang-ming passed away on Monday at the age of 96. For decades, Koo has been an outspoken advocate for Taiwan’s independence from the R.O.C., being the founder of a foundation pushing for a new constitution in Taiwan. Leaders of pro-independence groups say that though Koo is no longer with them, his work will live on.

Presidential Office Adviser Koo Kwang-ming, was a vocal advocate for drafting a new constitution that does away with references to the R.O.C. in Taiwan. He did not live to see his dream become reality, as he passed away on Monday at the age of 96.

Chen Nan-tien
United Formosans for Independence
He had been in the intensive care unit for quite a long time already. When my colleague went to see him, he was already unconscious. The Taiwan New Constitution Foundation is one of the earliest advocates for the causes that the United Formosans for Independence is trying to promote. So their work of pushing for a new constitution for Taiwan will live on.

Activists in the pro-independence camp mourned Koo’s loss. President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Chen Chien-jen, and Presidential Office Secretary General Lin Chia-lung posted eulogies on social media.

Koo Kwang-ming (March 26, 2022)
Presidential Office advisor
The happiness and safety of this generation, the next generation and generations after that is our most important mission now.

Koo was born in 1926 in Changhua’s Lukang township. His father was business tycoon Koo Hsien-jung, and one of his older siblings was Chiang Kai-shek confidant Koo Chen-fu. At the time of the 228 massacre in 1947, he was a third-year university student and happened to be traveling in Hong Kong. After the massacre, he went into exile in Japan and founded the World United Formosans for Independence, becoming a fugitive for the R.O.C. government. In 1972, he traveled in secret from Japan to Taiwan, via Thailand. He met then-Premier Chiang Ching-kuo, calling on him to lift martial law, allow for freedom of speech and lift the ban on forming political parties. After that, he was mostly known for his work to promote Taiwan’s independence from the R.O.C., publishing many materials on the matter and founding the Taiwan New Constitution Foundation. Activists say his passing on Monday marks the end of a chapter in the history of Taiwan’s pro-independence activism.

我會離開但台灣永存在! 辜寬敏辭世"一生推動台獨"

2023-02-27

總統府資政辜寬敏，一生致力推動台獨，要制定新憲法，讓台灣國家正常化。沒想到願望還沒完成，27日上午辜寬敏辭世，享耆壽96歲。得知消息的台獨聯盟主席陳南天非常不捨，未完成的遺願，他們會接棒繼續完成。

總統府資政辜寬敏，一生致力推動"制定台灣新憲法"，要讓國家正常化。如今心願還沒有完成，卻在2月27號上午辭世，享耆壽96歲。

[[台獨聯盟主席陳南天]]
“他在加護病房的時候，已經相當久的時間了。我的同志去看他的時候，大部分的時間都陷於昏迷狀態。制憲基金會是台灣獨立聯盟很早以前就已經開始在推動的目標
之一，所以這個(制定新憲法)絕對會繼續做下去的。”

辜寬敏離世，不只台獨聯盟不捨，總統蔡英文、行政院長陳建仁、總統府秘書長林佳龍等人都在臉書發文哀悼。

[[總統府資政辜寬敏(2022.03.26)]]
“這一代、下一代、下下一代的我們台灣人的幸福安全，這個我現在最重要的任務啦。”

辜寬敏1926年出生彰化鹿港辜家，爸爸是辜顯榮、大哥是辜振甫。大學三年級時，辜寬敏因到香港旅遊，躲過228事件，逃到日本成立台獨聯盟，卻遭中華民國政府通緝，1972年秘密從日本逃到泰國再返台，並和時任行政院長蔣經國會面，呼籲台灣解嚴、開放言論自由、取消黨禁。之後一路推動台灣獨立，曾出版多本雜誌，成立台灣制憲基金會等。如今辜寬敏辭世，也象徵一個時代結束。