TAICHUNG (TVBS News) — The "Born 2 Be Free Festival" took to the streets of Taichung on Sunday (April 7), promoting the value of free speech and attracting a youthful crowd.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the death of late democracy advocate Deng Nan-jung and the 10th anniversary of the Sunflower Student Movement. The event's organizer, Cosmopolitan Culture Action Taichung (CCAT), hopes to use the festival to highlight the importance of free speech.
The festival featured performances by Taiwanese bands P!SCO and Tsng-kha-lâng, as well as singer Wu Zhining. Stand-up comedians also took the stage, and Taiwanese NGO groups set up booths and gave short lectures on various topics.
Representatives from the Department of Human Rights and Transitional Justice of the Executive Yuan attended the event, emphasizing the importance of understanding past government infringements on human rights to better appreciate the value of democracy and freedom and to care for vulnerable groups in society.
CCAT executive officer Lin Fang-ju noted that in 1989, Deng Nan-jung started publishing his Freedom Era Weekly Magazine, providing a rare non-Kuomintang (KMT) perspective to Taiwanese society. Deng was later arrested on charges of sedition, highlighting the hard-won nature of free speech.
The "Born 2 Be Free Festival" is now in its sixth year, and CCAT has pledged to continue the event as long as Taiwan exists.