Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article: A1631-W1189

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1631-W1189

Release Date: January 15, 2024

发布日：2024年1月15日

Topic: Reminiscing about Mr. Shih Ming-Teh, the Pioneer of Democracy in Taiwan -- Wei Jingsheng

标题：回忆台湾民主先驱施明德先生 -- 魏京生

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

Note: Please use "Simplified Chinese (GB2312)" encoding to view the Chinese parts of this release. If this mail does not display properly in your email program, please send your request for special delivery to us or visit:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/report/report2024/report2024-1/WeiJS240115onShihMTlifeA1631-W1189.htm which contains identical information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Reminiscing about Mr. Shih Ming-Teh, the Pioneer of Democracy in Taiwan

-- Wei Jingsheng

When I woke up this morning, I saw the news that Mr. Shih Ming-Teh had passed away. When I recall Mr. Shih Ming-Teh, my deepest impression is different from that of most people: he is not a famous Taiwan independence leader, but a sincere idealist of democracy and freedom. Thoughtful people like him are forefathers whom we can gain inspiration from and should always respect.

My first visit to Taiwan was at the invitation of Kuomintang President Lee Teng-hui. Therefore, people from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) avoided meeting me. Mr. Shih Ming-Teh was one of the few DPP members who took the initiative to meet with me and had in-depth discussions with me.

While I was in the CCP prison, I could only read the prescribed newspapers of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). So after I was paroled in 1993, I met the German journalist Jürgen Kremb and his wife, thus I learned the first time that there was a Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan. And I also met with Ms. Kiku Chen Chu, who was negotiating with the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. The day after meeting US President Clinton at the end of 1997, I met Hsu Hsin-liang, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and former party chairman, for the first time in the United States. There was a young lady drinking coffee together, Ms. Hsiao Bi-khim, who has just been elected vice president in Taiwan (2 days ago).

The hot-blooded young lady asked me as soon as she saw me: Do you support Taiwan’s independence? But Mr. Hsu Hsin-liang, who was mature, smiled and rushed her to the side to drink coffee with Mr. Parris H. Chang. Since then, I have been deeply impressed by the DPP’s Taiwan independence character. So when Mr. Shih Ming-Teh and I met for the first time, the first issue we discussed as the conversation deepened was what exactly Taiwan independence is.

I said that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent country. Why bother to engage in an independence movement? He said that in fact, the goal of the predecessors of the Democratic Progressive Party, which started from the overseas democratic movement, was to carry out democratic movements. Later, inspired by the Democracy Wall in Xidan, Beijing, the Formosa Magazine started. So as soon as he met me, he called me as his predecessor, which means the predecessor of the democratic movement.

During the Democracy Wall period in Taiwan, they discovered an important phenomenon: it is difficult for most people with low education to understand how complex democratic theories relate to their lives. A big question they all care about is what to do if the CCP attacks Taiwan? So Formosa Magazine launched a new argument, that is, if we declare independence from China, the CCP will have no reason to attack us. Although this is wishful thinking, it was indeed successful in mobilizing people's support for the democratic movement. Since then, it has gained the qualification to confront the Kuomintang.

The Taiwan independence movement unfolded vigorously in Taiwan, marking the beginning of Taiwan's move toward democratization. I said that since democracy is just around the corner, this unreasonable statement about Taiwan independence should also be changed. He said it was difficult because now the main forces in the Democratic Progressive Party are those who have been waving small flags on the streets to support Taiwan independence since they were in middle school. If you changed it now, they wouldn’t accept it. Due to practical considerations in the campaign, it is difficult to give up the idea of Taiwan independence. Sometimes people are unreasonable.

At that time, I raised another question. If you insist on the Taiwan independence movement, it is actually equivalent to admitting that the Republic of China has no independent sovereignty. Wouldn’t that just create a reason for the CCP to attack Taiwan? This is also the reason why I later privately reminded President Chen Shui-bian that he should reinterpret the DDP’s platform of the Taiwanese Independence in order to run for election. Shih Ming-Teh said that this task is not easy and it depends on the young people.

Now that Taiwan's democratic politics are gradually maturing, it has become a reality to gradually abandon the theory of Taiwan independence. The newly elected President Lai Ching-te announced that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country and there is no need to declare independence. That is the evolutionary result of theory returning to reality. This is also the need for friends who help Taiwan maintain security to speak out legitimately: if the CCP attacks Taiwan, including Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Islands, it will be even more legitimate for friendly countries to intervene.

If you ask others to make their policies clear, you should first make your own policies to be clear and sound. Vague and unsatisfactory statements are first of all detrimental to oneself. Why insist on a theory that cannot be self-consistent? What democratic pioneers like Shih Ming-Teh meant of peaceful coexistence with the mainland China is after the democratization in Mainland. No one can coexist peacefully with the ambitious Communist dictatorship. This was also the consensus we had reached through in-depth discussions back then.

(This English version is translated by Ciping HUANG, without any compensation. Wei Jingsheng and the Wei Jingsheng Foundation appreciate her decades of contribution, especially for allowing the use and distribution of her translations of these commentaries.)

Original link of this commentary:

https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/pinglun/weijingsheng/wjs-01152024203653.html

To hear Mr. Wei Jingsheng's related commentary, please visit:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/RFA/RFA2024/WeiJS240115onShihMTlife.mp3

Related screenshot of Wei Jingsheng’s commentary on RFA website:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2024/newsletters2024-1/WeiJSonShihMTlife240115RFApage.jpg

(Written and recorded on January 15, 2024. Broadcasted by Radio Free Asia on January 15, 2024.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

This is a message from WeiJingSheng.org

The Wei Jingsheng Foundation and the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition are dedicated to the promotion of human rights and democratization in China. We appreciate your assistance and help in any means. We pledge solidarity to all who struggle for human rights and democratic governance on this planet.

You are welcome to use or distribute this release. However, please credit with this foundation and its website at: www.weijingsheng.org

Although we are unable to afford to pay royalty fees at this time, we are seeking your contribution as well. You may send your articles, comments and opinions to: HCP@weijingsheng.org. Please remember, only in text files, not in attachments.

For website issues and suggestions, you may contact our professional staff and web master at: webmaster@Weijingsheng.org

To find out more about us, please also visit our websites at:

www.WeiJingSheng.org and www.ChinaLaborUnion.org

For news and information for Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition and human rights and democracy movement as whole, especially our Chinese Labor Union Base.

You may contact Ciping Huang at: HCP@Weijingsheng.org or

Wei Jingsheng Foundation office at: 1-202-270-6980

Wei Jingsheng Foundation's postal address is:

Wei Jingsheng Foundation, P. O. Box 15449, Washington, DC 20003, USA

You are receiving this message because you had previous shown your interest in learning more about Mr. Wei Jingsheng and the Chinese Democratic Movement. To be removed from the list, simply reply this message and use "unsubscribe" as the Subject. Please allow us a few days to process your request.

*****************************************************************

中文版

Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article: A1631-W1189

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1631-W1189

Release Date: January 15, 2024

发布日：2024年1月15日

Topic: Reminiscing about Mr. Shih Ming-Teh, the Pioneer of Democracy in Taiwan -- Wei Jingsheng

标题：回忆台湾民主先驱施明德先生 -- 魏京生

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

如有中文乱码问题，请与我们联系或访问：

http://www.weijingsheng.org/report/report2024/report2024-1/WeiJS240115onShihMTlifeA1631-W1189.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------

回忆台湾民主先驱施明德先生

-- 魏京生

早上起床就看到新闻，施明德先生去世了。回忆施明德先生，最深刻的印象和大多数人不同：不是著名的台独领袖，而是真诚的民主自由的理想主义者。像他这样有思想的人，是我们可以获得启发，应该永远尊敬的前辈。

我第一次去台湾访问，是受国民党总统李登辉的邀请。所以民进党人士都躲着不和我见面。施明德先生是少有的、主动和我见面并且深谈的民进党人。

在中共监狱里只能看到规定的党报，所以我在一九九三年假释之后，结识了周素禧女士和德国记者约根，才知道台湾有个民进党，并且会见了在北京和共产党谈判的陈菊女士。九七年底会见了美国总统克林顿之后的第二天，在美国第一次见到了民进党人士，曾经的党主席许信良。一起喝咖啡的还有一个小姑娘，就是刚刚当选副总统的萧美琴。

血气方刚的小姑娘一上来就问我：支持不支持台湾独立？但被老成持重的许信良先生笑着赶到旁边去，和张旭成先生喝咖啡了。从此我对民进党的台独色彩印象深刻。所以我和施明德先生第一次见面，谈话深入之后的第一个问题，就是有关台独究竟是什么。

我说中华民国本来就是有主权独立的国家，为什么还要搞独立运动呢？他说其实民进党的前辈，从海外民主运动开始，目标就是要搞民主运动。后来受到北京西单民主墙的启发，开始了美丽岛运动。所以他一见面就管我叫老前辈，是民主运动的老前辈的意思。

在台湾民主墙时期，他们发现一个重要的现象：大多数文化不高的民众很难听懂复杂的民主理论和他们的生活有什么关系。他们共同关心的一个大问题，就是共产党打过来怎么办？于是美丽岛杂志就发起了一个新的说法，就是我们宣布独立于中国，共产党就没理由攻打我们了。虽然这是个一厢情愿的说法，但在动员民众支持民主运动的方面，的确很成功。从此就获得了和国民党对抗的资格。

台独运动在台湾轰轰烈烈地展开，是台湾走向民主化的开始。我说既然民主已经指日可待了，就应该把这个不合理的台独说法也改一改了。他说很难。因为现在民进党的主力，都是中学时期就摇着小旗子上街支持台独。你现在改了，他们想不通。出于竞选的现实考虑，很难放弃台独的主张，有时候人们是不讲理的。

这时候我提出了另一个问题，如果坚持台独运动，实际上等于承认中华民国没有独立的主权。那不就是给中共攻打台湾制造理由了吗？这也是我后来私下提醒陈水扁，应该重新解释台独党纲，以便竞选的理由。施明德说这个任务不容易，要看年轻人了。

现在台湾的民主政治逐渐成熟，逐渐放弃台独理论也成为现实。刚当选的赖清德总统宣布台湾本来就是有主权独立的国家，没必要宣布独立。那就是理论回归现实的演变结果。这也是帮助台湾维护安全的朋友们，可以名正言顺说话的需要：如果中共攻打台湾，包括台澎金马，友好国家出面干预也就更加名正言顺了。

你要求别人政策清晰化，你自己首先要政策名正言顺。模模糊糊无法圆满的说法，首先对自己不利。为什么非要坚持无法自洽的理论呢？施明德这些民主的先驱们所说的与大陆和平共处，指的是大陆民主化之后。和狼子野心的共产党独裁政权，谁也无法和平共处。这也是我们当年就进行了的深入探讨，并且达成的共识。

(本评论的英文版本由黄慈萍翻译。魏京生和魏京生基金会感谢她数十年来相关的无偿贡献，特别是使用和发布此译文的许可。)

评论的原始链接：

https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/pinglun/weijingsheng/wjs-01152024203653.html