Rescue

  Political prisoner rescue efforts, both within and outside of Taiwan, spanned decades since their inception in the 1960s, with countless individuals and groups participating, including overseas Taiwanese, church groups, foreigners, Amnesty International, the media, and academia.

  In the late 1960s, the issue of human rights gradually became a prime concern of the international community, with overseas support of political prisoners becoming ever more organized and diversified. From 1976, when President Carter’s foreign policy brought the human rights issue into the international political arena, the KMT authorities’ records of human rights abuse drew worldwide concern. In 1969 Hsieh Tsung-min and Tsai Tsai-yuan cooperated to compile a list of political prisoners, which Peng Ming-min handed to the US ambassador. In 1970 Tsai Tsai-yuan passed a list of 237 prisoners to Japan, where it was published in Taiwan Chenglian, the first time such a list came to public light.

  In 1970, jailed dissidents such as Tsai Tsai-yuan and Chen Chung-tung, with the cooperation of people outside, like Roger Hsieh and Tsai Chin-keng, compiled detailed information on 214 political prisoners, which they passed on to Amnesty International. This information became a vital reference for subsequent international aid efforts for Taiwan’s political prisoners. After the Kaohsiung Incident of 1979, the KMT vigorously arrested opponents, an act that evoked concern around the world. Pressure from the international community created the environment for resistance against KMT oppression both within and outside of Taiwan.

　　　　◆Hand-written List

　　　　This list of 214 prisoners made it overseas, where it appeared in the monthly Taiwan Chenglian. (Provided by the Dr. Chen Wen-cheng Memorial Foundation)