Lin Yi-hsiung
Encyclopedia
Lin Yi-hsiung
Lin Yi-hsiung ' onMouseout='HidePop("87575")' href="/topics/Democracy">democratization
movement in Taiwan. He graduated from the Department of Law of National Taiwan University
. He was first exposed to politics in 1976 while serving as attorney for Guo Yuxin (郭雨新, 1908–1985) who sued the ruling KMT party for electoral fraud
. Lin was elected a member of Taiwan Provincial Assembly (now defunct) in Guo's old electorate in 1977.
. On February 27, 1980 Lin Yi-hsiung was in detention and beaten severely by the police. His wife saw him in prison and contacted the Amnesty International
Osaka
office. The next day Lin's mother and twin 7 year old daughters were stabbed to death. The authorities claimed to know nothing about it, even though his house was under 24 hour police surveillance. There are no suspects to this day.
Lin's eldest daughter, Huan-Jun Lin (林奐均, aka. Judy Linton), who was badly wounded in the incident, was the only survivor in this murder which stunned Taiwan. She later traveled to the United States, embraced Christianity, and married Rev. Joel Linton. She is now a renown pianist and gospel singer in Taiwan.
In 1984, Lin left jail on parole, and went to Harvard University
with his wife.
's four-way primary for the 1996 Taiwan presidential election.
Three years later, Lin Yi-hsiung became the 8th Chairman of Democratic Progressive Party (1998–2000) and successfully ran a campaign for Chen Shui-bian
as the 10th President of the Republic of China
. Immediately following Chen's election in May 2000, Lin demonstrated his unwillingness to share the spoils of victory in a surprising retirement from DPP's chairmanship. Citing Robert Frost's poem, he retired with the remark that he preferred to take "the road less travelled by".
Leaving all public and party posts behind him, Lin has been concerning himself with 'reform from outside (the centers of power)' as he campaigns for various issues of environmental justice and parliamentary reform, most importantly in mobilizing public support against nuclear power (2000) and for reducing the number of parliamentary seats by half (2004), both of which are detrimental to Chen's and DPP's hold on power.
In late 2005, he encouraged and endorsed Ong Jin-Ju's (翁金珠) candidacy in the Democratic Progressive Party's chairmanship by-election of January 15, 2006. Some observers considered Ong as the reformist candidate because the two other candidates each represented the then president and premier's factions respectively. Lacking a factional base, however, Ong was only able to marshall 9.4% of the votes.
Less than two weeks later, on January 24, 2006, Lin Yi-hsiung renounced membership of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan. He said the elections of recent years had become partisan dogfights, resulting in national upheaval. He therefore had no intention of serving in the party's administration, nor of running for public office for the party. According to Lin Yi-hsiung, it was no longer meaningful to be a DPP member, and he has chosen to be a non-partisan citizen of his democratic country.
Despite this, Lin recently endorsed and campaigned for the Democratic Progressive Party's two candidates in the December 2006 mayoral elections. Lin went on the campaign trail for Frank Hsieh
(candidate for Mayor of Taipei City) and Chen Chu
(candidate for Mayor of Kaohsiung City), both of whom are long time friends of his dating back to the late 1970s. He states that despite all its vices, the Democratic Progressive Party still remains the most progressive party in Taiwan.
Lin Yi-hsiung ' onMouseout='HidePop("87575")' href="/topics/Democracy">democratization
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
movement in Taiwan. He graduated from the Department of Law of National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
. He was first exposed to politics in 1976 while serving as attorney for Guo Yuxin (郭雨新, 1908–1985) who sued the ruling KMT party for electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
. Lin was elected a member of Taiwan Provincial Assembly (now defunct) in Guo's old electorate in 1977.
Lin Family Massacre
Lin was arrested in December 1979 for his involvement in the Kaohsiung IncidentKaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung Incident also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident or the Formosa Magazine incident was the result of pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on December 10, 1979....
. On February 27, 1980 Lin Yi-hsiung was in detention and beaten severely by the police. His wife saw him in prison and contacted the Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
office. The next day Lin's mother and twin 7 year old daughters were stabbed to death. The authorities claimed to know nothing about it, even though his house was under 24 hour police surveillance. There are no suspects to this day.
Lin's eldest daughter, Huan-Jun Lin (林奐均, aka. Judy Linton), who was badly wounded in the incident, was the only survivor in this murder which stunned Taiwan. She later traveled to the United States, embraced Christianity, and married Rev. Joel Linton. She is now a renown pianist and gospel singer in Taiwan.
In 1984, Lin left jail on parole, and went to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with his wife.
Post incident career
Lin returned to Taiwan in 1989 and became a major advocate against nuclear power in Taiwan soonafter. In 1995, he ran and lost in the Democratic Progressive PartyDemocratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...
's four-way primary for the 1996 Taiwan presidential election.
Three years later, Lin Yi-hsiung became the 8th Chairman of Democratic Progressive Party (1998–2000) and successfully ran a campaign for Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
as the 10th President of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Immediately following Chen's election in May 2000, Lin demonstrated his unwillingness to share the spoils of victory in a surprising retirement from DPP's chairmanship. Citing Robert Frost's poem, he retired with the remark that he preferred to take "the road less travelled by".
Leaving all public and party posts behind him, Lin has been concerning himself with 'reform from outside (the centers of power)' as he campaigns for various issues of environmental justice and parliamentary reform, most importantly in mobilizing public support against nuclear power (2000) and for reducing the number of parliamentary seats by half (2004), both of which are detrimental to Chen's and DPP's hold on power.
In late 2005, he encouraged and endorsed Ong Jin-Ju's (翁金珠) candidacy in the Democratic Progressive Party's chairmanship by-election of January 15, 2006. Some observers considered Ong as the reformist candidate because the two other candidates each represented the then president and premier's factions respectively. Lacking a factional base, however, Ong was only able to marshall 9.4% of the votes.
Less than two weeks later, on January 24, 2006, Lin Yi-hsiung renounced membership of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan. He said the elections of recent years had become partisan dogfights, resulting in national upheaval. He therefore had no intention of serving in the party's administration, nor of running for public office for the party. According to Lin Yi-hsiung, it was no longer meaningful to be a DPP member, and he has chosen to be a non-partisan citizen of his democratic country.
Despite this, Lin recently endorsed and campaigned for the Democratic Progressive Party's two candidates in the December 2006 mayoral elections. Lin went on the campaign trail for Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh
Frank Hsieh Chang-ting is a Taiwanese politician of the Democratic Progressive Party in the Republic of China. He was the mayor of Kaohsiung City until his appointment as President of the Executive Yuan by president Chen Shui-bian on February 1, 2005. He announced his resignation from the post of...
(candidate for Mayor of Taipei City) and Chen Chu
Chen Chu
Chen Chu is a Taiwanese politician who is the current mayor of Kaohsiung. She was one of the "Kaohsiung Eight," prominent dissidents arrested after the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979...
(candidate for Mayor of Kaohsiung City), both of whom are long time friends of his dating back to the late 1970s. He states that despite all its vices, the Democratic Progressive Party still remains the most progressive party in Taiwan.