Lai pays tribute to ex-political prisoners, pledges to defend democracy

Taipei, Dec. 10 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) paid tribute to the Taiwanese who suffered political persecution during the country's authoritarian rule and reaffirmed his commitment to defending democracy as he marked International Human Rights Day on Tuesday.

Before speaking at a human rights award ceremony, Lai expressed respect for the Taiwanese who contributed to Taiwan's democracy, freedom and human rights despite "the oppression of the authoritarian regime," including those prosecuted and jailed in the Kaohsiung Incident, via social media.

The Kaohsiung Incident refers to the crackdown by the then-authoritarian Kuomintang government on the pro-democracy demonstration exactly 45 years ago and subsequent trials targeting key campaigners.

Noting that democracy and freedom are hard-earned and can easily regress, Lai called for unity and cooperation in Taiwanese society to keep those values intact.

"In recent years, disinformation and cognitive warfare have become challenges for all democracies," Lai later remarked at the award ceremony in Taipei hosted by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).

The event saw the Bangladesh-based human rights group, Odhikar, conferred with the TFD's 2024 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award (ADHRA) in recognition of its three decades of civil and political rights advocacy in the South Asian nation.

"Taiwan, like Bangladesh, has experienced the suppression and coercion of authoritarian rule. But thanks to the dedication of many democracy activists and defenders of human rights, the people of Taiwan now enjoy a free and democratic way of life," Lai said.

He then reaffirmed his administration's commitment to "continue efforts to strengthen our ability to defend democracy" and "deepen partnerships with various countries to make global democracy more resilient."

Speaking on behalf of Odhikar, Saira Rahman Khan said since its establishment in 1994, the human rights group faced state surveillance, arbitrary trials and other forms of harassment and intimidation under the previous government led by the Bangladesh Awami League.

"However, in the last 15 years, the persecution of the organization from a corrupt, repressive and diabolical regime and its supporters has been a true testament to Odhikar's tenacity and dedication to human rights activism," said Khan, who is also a law professor at BRAC University in Bangladesh.

She thanked the TFD for the ADHRA and dedicated the award to "the mass movement and its martyrs," referring to the student-led anti-government protests that eventually toppled the former regime in early August.

Speaking of Odhikar, TFD Chairman and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said the group had "worked tirelessly to advance democracy and human rights through research, advocacy [and] monitoring."

He lauded the group for "making significant contributions to empowering citizens, safeguarding human rights, and advocating for justice with far-reaching impact" through training more than 400 human rights campaigners in Bangladesh.