April 9-15, 2012
Headline News
Cheng Nan-jung Foundation remembers the 23rd anniversary of his self-immolation
Reported by Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
“When Cheng Nan-jung locked himself up for 71 days, it was Rev. Chi Yuan-te who came to our house every week to lead us in family worship services,” recalled Cheng’s widow Yeh Chu-lan at a gathering sponsored by Youth Synergy Taiwan to highlight Cheng’s legacy. She also expressed her gratitude to the PCT for its support over the years.
Cheng Nang-jung (also known as Nylon Deng) began publishing Freedom Era Weekly in 1984 to advocate for “100% freedom of speech” and published an article in this journal written by another author in late 1988, which contained proposals for a new national constitution. In January 1989, Taiwan High Prosecutor’s Office issued a summons against him for treason.
Cheng locked himself in his office for 71 days and declared, “The KMT will only get hold of my corpse, but not me.” On April 7, 1989, when the KMT government sent policemen to Cheng’s office to arrest him, Cheng set his office and himself on fire and died on that day. As he had predicted, the KMT would never catch him alive.
To remember Cheng’s legacy, Youth Synergy Taiwan and TWFuture held this gathering on April 6, 2012 at Café Philo and invited Cheng’s younger brother Cheng Ching-hua, his daughter Cheng Chu-mei, and the CEO of the Cheng Nang-jung foundation Chao Ching-jung to share about how Cheng Nan-jung changed their lives.
Asked if Cheng would consider being a candidate for the DPP chairmanship if he were alive today, everyone in attendance replied that he would not. Yeh Chu-lan added that Cheng was a devoted journalist who guarded his journalistic impartiality to the point of refusing all invitations by local hosts to host him when he went on overseas assignments.
“Cheng Nan-jung is a simple-minded person,” Yeh said about her late husband. She added that Cheng was very loving toward others but very hard on himself. He didn’t want to see the next generation of Taiwanese grow up like he did – living in fear and without any freedoms. He chose self-immolation because he thought it was the simplest means to convey his love for Taiwan.
Yeh then turned her attention to the younger generation of Taiwanese today and said she was worried about them because they were unaware of important historical events such as the 228 Massacre, the Lin Family Massacre, or the White Terror. “Youths these days were born in a democratic era. They aren’t interested in knowing what happened in the past and they are not aware that the freedoms they enjoy today are the result of countless people laying down their lives to secure these freedoms. So, please be concerned about what is going on around you and don’t stand aloof!” she implored.
