While in Taipei, IOI President Chris Field PSM undertook a deeply moving visit to a place of great significance, the National Human Rights Museum, memorializing the period of Taiwan’s history known as the ‘White Terror’.
The President was honoured to spend time with a victim of that time, imprisoned for over a decade. Indeed, Control Yuan President Chen Chu, was similarly a political prisoner during the ‘White Terror’ period as one of the Kaohsiung Eight of the ‘Formosa Incident’, and subsequently a revered leader of the Taiwanese democracy movement.
“These victims; these survivors; became champions of democracy and the rule of law. They were victims; but I thank them for being heroic leaders of the most fundamental values” said President Field.
President Field was also delighted to meet with the Acting Representative of the Australian Office in Taipei, Mr Lachlan Crews, at the Grand Hotel. Acting Representative Crews also very kindly attended the Ceremony on Monday to award the President the Control Yuan First Grade Medal, its highest honour.
Source: The Office of the IOI President and Western Australian Ombudsman