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President Lai: Taiwan’s democracy not up for negotiation

Reporter TVBS News Staff
Release time:2025/04/07 15:53
Last update time:2025/04/07 16:25
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Taiwan president honors democracy martyr at memorial (TVBS News) President Lai: Taiwan’s democracy not up for negotiation
Taiwan president honors democracy martyr at memorial (TVBS News)

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) made a forceful commitment to defend the island's sovereignty and democratic institutions on Monday (April 7) while commemorating a pivotal figure in Taiwan's journey toward democracy. The president's remarks came during a solemn ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of the death of pro-democracy activist Nylon Cheng (鄭南榕), whose self-immolation in 1989 became a powerful symbol in Taiwan's struggle for political freedom. Attending the memorial for the first time since assuming the presidency, Lai conveyed the nation's collective gratitude for Cheng's sacrifice. "I will unite Taiwanese society, and use the power of democracy to push Taiwan forward," he declared to the assembled mourners and officials.

The president traced his personal connection to the commemorative day, recalling how he established April 7 as "Freedom of Speech Day" during his mayoral administration in Tainan 13 years ago, a local initiative that former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) later elevated to national significance nine years ago. Throughout his political career, Lai remarked, his reverence for Cheng's ultimate sacrifice has remained unwavering. In his address, the president highlighted Taiwan's democratic credentials on the global stage, citing the island's distinction as Asia's highest-ranked democracy according to The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index. Lai further underscored Taiwan's democratic accomplishments by referencing its second-place ranking in Asia in Freedom House's "Freedom in the World" report, positioning the island as a regional standard-bearer for democratic values.

 

In a portion of his speech that addressed geopolitical tensions across the Taiwan Strait, President Lai delivered a firm warning regarding external threats to the island's democratic system. Without directly naming China, he assured attendees that his administration would act resolutely against any efforts to compromise Taiwan's democratic institutions or security interests. The president drew a clear boundary around the concept of free expression, stating unequivocally: "Any advocacy of depriving the people of Taiwan of their freedom and advocating the disappearance of Taiwan as a Republic of China (ROC) is not a form of freedom of speech that is acceptable to the Taiwanese society."

Taiwan Affairs

#Taiwan# President Lai Ching-te# democracy# Nylon Cheng# Freedom of Speech Day# Taiwan sovereignty# China-Taiwan relations# Taiwan’s democratic achievements# threats to Taiwan’s democracy# Taiwan as a beacon of democracy

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