TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The "43rd Anniversary Memorial of the Chen Wen-chen Incident" took place on Tuesday (July 2) at the Chen Wen-chen Memorial Square. Attendees lit candles and laid flowers at the monument to honor his memory.
Chen Wen-chen, a victim of the White Terror era, supported Taiwan's democratization. In 1979, while teaching in the U.S., he expressed willingness to fund pro-democracy magazines, which the Garrison Command monitored. In 1981, authorities summoned him upon his return to Taiwan; he was found dead the next day near the Library.
Yang Huang Mei-hsing (楊黃美幸), chairwoman of the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation, highlighted the significance of the memorial square. "It took ten years of effort by many teachers and students to secure this place," she said.
Deputy Secretary-General Yang I-shan (楊懿珊) of the Democratic Progressive Party emphasized, "Taiwan's democratic path exists under the protection of predecessors like Chen Wen-chen."
Chou Wan-yao (周婉窈), a foundation board member and professor at National Taiwan University, noted that the NTU Graduate Student Association has organized memorial events since the incident's 30th anniversary.
Ting Shang-qi (丁上齊), a sociology student from Hong Kong, remarked, "Taiwan's history of democratic struggle has also become a reason for Hong Kong people's resistance."
The NTU Student Association and NTU Graduate Student Association urged that the truth behind Chen Wen-chen's case remains unclear. They called for declassifying political archives to aid truth-seeking and the removal of authoritarian symbols to deepen Taiwan's democratic journey.