Chen Guangcheng praises Taiwan democratisation as example for mainland China
Chen Guangcheng praises island's democratic achievements as an example for the mainland
Blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, who sparked a diplomatic crisis between China and the United States when he fled house arrest and sought refuge at the US embassy in Beijing, said yesterday that Taiwan's democratisation was a "precious experience" for mainland China.
"Taiwan's success is a light that points the path for Chinese society," he said in a speech to hundreds of people at a public talk at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
Chen said Taiwan's past repression of government critics during the Kuomintang's one-party rule was "amazingly similar" to what was happening on the mainland today and the rise of rights awareness among ordinary people on the mainland had laid the foundation for democracy.
The Communist Party monopolised judicial power and the voice of the media, he said, and the individuals who dared to question its authority were often arbitrarily detained and harassed.
"This shows that they are aware that ordinary citizens' rights awareness is posing a threat to dictatorship," he said.
After he delivered his speech, Chen visited the legislative floor where he witnessed legislators from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and the ruling KMT jostling for control of the podium during a debate about revisions to the island's capital gains tax.
As Chen showed up, the DPP legislators shouted: "Support freedom and democracy. Welcome civil rights fighter Chen Guangcheng."