Participating in Two Presidential Elections, Frank Hsieh Recalls the Tense Birth of the DPP
On the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first direct presidential election, Frank Hsieh, President of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, recalled his key role in the democracy movement in an interview with CNA. He detailed the thrilling process of giving birth to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on September 28, 1986, at the Grand Hotel in Taipei through a surprise motion under martial law. At that time, forming a party was a high-risk act, and the founding members even prepared their last wills. As a member of the secret founding group, Hsieh proposed the name "Democratic Progressive Party" and explained how the generation of lawyers, following the Kaohsiung Incident, took up the mantle of the democracy movement and chose a path of "reform within the system."
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This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan's first direct presidential election. Through interviews with key figures and scholars, CNA hopes to outline the process and appearance of Taiwan's transformation from an authoritarian to a democratic system. From the martial law era, when one had to write a "last will" before attempting to form a new political party, to the 1990 Wild Lily student movement demanding political reform with the support of civil society, Taiwan completed its democratization through bloodless reform in just a few short years. The first direct presidential election was held in 1996, a globally unique success story of democracy. Looking back at history, re-examining and rewriting the chapters of Taiwan's democracy movement can help us face the new challenges of deepening and consolidating democracy today.
"On September 28, 1986, the '1986 Tangwai Election Support Association' held its third membership recommendation meeting at the Grand Hotel. During the meeting, a secret party-founding group initiated the formation of a party through a surprise motion. Some shouted it was like child's play and a preparatory committee was needed first; others said that once preparations began, they would be arrested!" said Frank Hsieh, President of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, recalling the heart-pounding, surprise party formation process from 40 years ago.
"When discussing the party's name, I argued that 'democratic tolerance, progressive orientation' could encompass the ideals of the Public Policy Committee and the Writers and Editors Association. The name Democratic Progressive Party thus came into being. A press conference was immediately called, and the reporters arrived at 6:06 PM. That was the moment the DPP was born."
Frank Hsieh was involved in every battle of Taiwan's democracy movement. He was a member of the DPP's secret founding group and working group. In 1996, he was Peng Ming-min's running mate, representing the DPP in the presidential election. In 2008, he represented the DPP, paired with Su Tseng-chang, in the presidential election. In an exclusive interview with CNA, he recounted the step-by-step journey of the Taiwanese people in promoting the democracy movement.
To review Taiwan's waves of democratic movements, one must start with the "Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion" enacted by the National Assembly of the Republic of China in 1948 and later implemented in Taiwan, and the "Martial Law" declared by the Taiwan Provincial Government on May 19, 1949.
In 1960, Lei Chen, founder of "Free China" magazine, was the first to challenge the system by planning to form the China Democratic Party. He was sentenced to 10 years by a military court. In 1979, Tangwai figures like Huang Hsin-chieh organized a pro-democracy demonstration in Kaohsiung (the Kaohsiung Incident), which led to a government crackdown and military trials for its leaders.
At that time, a group of defense lawyers for the Kaohsiung Incident "inmates," including Chen Shui-bian, Frank Hsieh, and Su Tseng-chang, took up the baton of Taiwan's democracy movement. "When we first ran for election, our main themes were 'democracy, Tangwai, and checks and balances,'" Hsieh explained.
Under the ban on forming parties, the Tangwai movement created three organizations to function as a de facto party: the Public Policy Committee for policy, the Association of Writers and Editors for propaganda, and the Tangwai Election Support Association for nominations. The plan to form a party was accelerated, leading to the surprise motion on September 28, 1986.
Founding the party was a high-risk affair. Hsieh had left a last will at his office. "On September 28, Chu Kao-cheng shouted in the meeting, 'Let's just form the party today, no more preparations!' I proposed the concepts of 'democratic tolerance' and 'progressive orientation,' and the name 'Democratic Progressive Party' was born. The whole process took just an hour." The press conference was tense. "The reporters arrived at 6:06 PM. That was the time of the DPP's birth." They were relieved only after foreign press reported the news. "Even if we were arrested, someone would still run under the DPP flag in the year-end elections. That would mean we had succeeded!"
"On September 28, 1986, the '1986 Tangwai Election Support Association' held its third membership recommendation meeting at the Grand Hotel. During the meeting, a secret party-founding group initiated the formation of a party through a surprise motion. Some shouted it was like child's play and a preparatory committee was needed first; others said that once preparations began, they would be arrested!" said Frank Hsieh, President of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association, recalling the heart-pounding, surprise party formation process from 40 years ago.
"When discussing the party's name, I argued that 'democratic tolerance, progressive orientation' could encompass the ideals of the Public Policy Committee and the Writers and Editors Association. The name Democratic Progressive Party thus came into being. A press conference was immediately called, and the reporters arrived at 6:06 PM. That was the moment the DPP was born."
Frank Hsieh was involved in every battle of Taiwan's democracy movement. He was a member of the DPP's secret founding group and working group. In 1996, he was Peng Ming-min's running mate, representing the DPP in the presidential election. In 2008, he represented the DPP, paired with Su Tseng-chang, in the presidential election. In an exclusive interview with CNA, he recounted the step-by-step journey of the Taiwanese people in promoting the democracy movement.
To review Taiwan's waves of democratic movements, one must start with the "Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion" enacted by the National Assembly of the Republic of China in 1948 and later implemented in Taiwan, and the "Martial Law" declared by the Taiwan Provincial Government on May 19, 1949.
In 1960, Lei Chen, founder of "Free China" magazine, was the first to challenge the system by planning to form the China Democratic Party. He was sentenced to 10 years by a military court. In 1979, Tangwai figures like Huang Hsin-chieh organized a pro-democracy demonstration in Kaohsiung (the Kaohsiung Incident), which led to a government crackdown and military trials for its leaders.
At that time, a group of defense lawyers for the Kaohsiung Incident "inmates," including Chen Shui-bian, Frank Hsieh, and Su Tseng-chang, took up the baton of Taiwan's democracy movement. "When we first ran for election, our main themes were 'democracy, Tangwai, and checks and balances,'" Hsieh explained.
Under the ban on forming parties, the Tangwai movement created three organizations to function as a de facto party: the Public Policy Committee for policy, the Association of Writers and Editors for propaganda, and the Tangwai Election Support Association for nominations. The plan to form a party was accelerated, leading to the surprise motion on September 28, 1986.
Founding the party was a high-risk affair. Hsieh had left a last will at his office. "On September 28, Chu Kao-cheng shouted in the meeting, 'Let's just form the party today, no more preparations!' I proposed the concepts of 'democratic tolerance' and 'progressive orientation,' and the name 'Democratic Progressive Party' was born. The whole process took just an hour." The press conference was tense. "The reporters arrived at 6:06 PM. That was the time of the DPP's birth." They were relieved only after foreign press reported the news. "Even if we were arrested, someone would still run under the DPP flag in the year-end elections. That would mean we had succeeded!"