The Transitional Justice Commission has concluded that the 1981 death of Taiwanese democracy activist Chen Wen-cheng was likely a case of murder. The commission wrote its findings in a report released on Thursday, the 39th anniversary of Chen’s death.
The Transitional Justice Commission was set up in 2018. Its purpose is to investigate the actions of the authoritarian KMT government between 1945 and 1992. Its findings contradict the authoritarian government’s claim at the time that Chen’s death had been a suicide.
Chen was an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an advocate for Taiwan’s independence. He was found dead on the campus of National Taiwan University after a night of interrogation by the now-disbanded Taiwan Garrison Command. Along with Chen’s case, the commission has been reviewing evidence of government surveillance and politically-motivated murders during Taiwan’s period under martial law from 1949 to 1987.
President Tsai Ing-wen took to Facebook on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of Chen’s death. She wrote that the commission’s work digging into the truth of the past can hopefully bring some comfort to the families of victims. She also said the commission’s work will hopefully encourage those waiting for a ray of hope in Hong Kong.
Tsai was referring to a controversial national security law that took effect in Hong Kong on Tuesday. The law drastically limits the city’s autonomy from Beijing.