Shih Ming-teh dies aged 83 after battling cancer
Shih Ming-teh dies aged 83 after battling cancer
2024-01-15
Democracy pioneer Shih Ming-teh has died after a long battle against liver cancer. He was 83. The former DPP chair died in the early hours of Monday at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Hailed as the Nelson Mandela of Taiwan, he fought for democracy during the Martial Law era. He spent 25 years as a political prisoner. Although he split from the DPP in the year 2000, his death has drawn condolences from the leaders of his former party.
Tall and slim, the young Shih Ming-teh was prominent in the democracy movement of the Martial Law era. His presence is documented in these black and white photos.
Shih Ming-teh was born in 1941 in Kaohsiung’s Yancheng District. He was the fourth child in his family, with three older brothers. His father was arrested during the February 28 massacre, leaving him with a deep distrust of authoritarianism.
Lai Kuen-cheng
Former DPP lawmaker
Shih Ming-teh’s father was called Shih Kuo-tsui. He was Taiwan’s first practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and he specialized in bone-setting and massage. He had more than one wife. My uncle is his oldest grandson from his first wife. So my older cousin and I refer to Shih Kuo-tsui as our Granduncle. During the Kaohsiung Incident, my uncle was implicated due to his familial connection.
Shih Ming-teh is best known for organizing the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident, which made him a top political criminal. Despite having plastic surgery to aid escape, he was caught and repeatedly imprisoned, even facing the death penalty. Hailed as the Nelson Mandela of Taiwan, he spent 25 years behind bars in total, but his dedication to democracy never wavered.
After he was released from prison for the last time, Shih Ming-teh was elected DPP chair in 2004. At the time, he was an ardent supporter of Chen Shui-bian. But due to ideological differences, he quit the party in 2000 and launched an anticorruption movement against then-President Chen. The move caused a rift with many in his former party.
Dressed in red, ex-DPP Chair Shih Ming-teh said he was defending his own reputation. Following the anti-corruption movement, he slowly faded from the political scene.
Lai Kuen-cheng
Former DPP lawmaker
After he served as party chair, he called for reconciliation with the opposition party. At the time, that didn’t sit well with a lot of people.
Despite his split from the DPP, the Presidential Office and party itself have both paid tribute following his death. Vice President Lai Ching-te thanked him for his contributions to Taiwan. Former President Chen took to Facebook, describing him as, quote, the hero of an era and a lonely pioneer of democracy, and wishing that he rests in peace.
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施明德肝癌辭世 對抗威權被譽為"台灣曼德拉 "
2024-01-15
台灣民主先驅、民進黨前主席施明德，身受肝癌所苦，去年底才傳出病危消息，今天凌晨1點多，他在台北榮總醫院離世，享壽83歲。施明德在威權時代就投身民主運動，多次以政治犯身分入獄，身陷囹圄長達25年，被譽為「台灣曼德拉」，不過他2000年退出民進黨，後來又發起百萬紅衫軍倒扁運動，與昔日戰友決裂，逐步淡出台灣政壇，雖然爭議不斷，但包含總統府、民進黨主席賴清德，甚至連前總統陳水扁都發文哀悼。
高瘦身材、現身街頭運動，為了對抗國民黨威權體制，施明德年紀輕輕就投入民主運動，一張張黑白照片，全紀錄他的身影。
1941年，出生於高雄鹽埕，施明德有3名哥哥，排行老4。228事件，父親被逮捕，讓他從此對威權體制極度反感。
[[前民進黨立委 賴坤成]]
“施明德的父親叫施闊嘴，是台灣第一位的中醫師，擅長這個接骨跟推拿，那他有妻妾，我們姨丈是大房的長孫，所以我就跟我的表哥，都叫他舅公，美麗島事件的時候，我的大姨丈他們都有被牽連，因為家族，關係很密切”
施明德積極投入民主運動，打響他名號的就是美麗島事件，他當總指揮，被國民黨列為頭號戰犯通緝，為此’’易容’’逃亡，多次以政治犯身分入獄，甚至以叛亂罪判處死刑，被譽為「台灣曼德拉」。身陷囹圄長達25年，但仍澆不熄他的滿腔熱血。
他出獄後重獲自由， 1994年擔任民進黨黨主席，力挺陳水扁。不過他因為和黨內理念不和，2000年退出民進黨，後來又發起百萬紅衫軍倒扁運動，與許多昔日戰友決裂。
身穿紅衣，民進黨前主席施明德為自己挺身而出，之後逐步消失在台灣政治舞台。
[[前民進黨立委 賴坤成]]
“他在當黨主席之後，主張說跟這個在野大和解，當初是很多人不諒解”
即使在黨內爭議不斷，總統府和民進黨都發文表達哀悼之意，賴清德也發文，謝謝他為台灣做出的貢獻，前總統陳水扁更是在臉書PO文，以"一代梟雄"為題，說施明德是民主先知，先知都是寂寞的，願他安息。
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