Lai sends condolences to Tsai Kuan-yu on passing Staff writer, with CNA President William Lai (賴清德) on Friday sent his condolences to the family of White Terror era victim Tsai Kuan-yu (蔡寬裕), who died a day earlier aged 91, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said. “May [Tsai’s] spirit of unwavering dedication to the work of transitional justice and deep affection for Taiwan remain with us forever,” Kuo cited Lai as saying in a statement, adding that the president was “saddened” by Tsai’s passing and expressed condolences to Tsai’s family. Kuo cited Tsai’s involvement in a civil society group which advocated for the rights of those who were politically persecuted during the Martial Law period from 1949 to 1987.
Former White Terror-era prisoner Tsai Kuan-yu holds a newly published book about his life in Taipei on Feb. 21, 2021. Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times Kuo added that Tsai was also a “key proponent” of the introduction of the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例), paving the way for more government efforts to restore the truth behind state wrongdoings during the White Terror era and compensate those adversely affected. The White Terror refers to a period of political repression in Taiwan by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government from 1949 to 1992. Born on Feb. 5, 1933, in Taipei, Tsai was imprisoned twice for a total of 13 years between the 1950s and 1970s.
He was first targeted by the authorities in 1957 and detained for about six months after being accused of inciting his classmates to strike in protest against the government’s handling of the killing of a Taiwanese national by a US military officer, which was later known as the Liu Zi-ran (劉自然) incident. In 1962, Tsai was apprehended for suspected involvement in pro-Taiwanese independence activities. This time, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was initially imprisoned in the then-Taipei County, but was later transferred to Taitung, where he was embroiled in an attempt by a group of activists outside the prison to occupy the facility by force as part of their pro-Taiwanese activities.
Tsai had agreed to help open the prison gate for the group, but the plan was uncovered before he could take any action. As a result, Tsai received an additional three-year prison sentence. After Tsai was released in May 1975, he launched a shoe manufacturing business in Taichung. He began calling for government redress for political prisoners during the White Terror era after the lifting of martial law in 1987. In his later years, he continued to volunteer at the National Human Rights Museum, where he gave lectures and guided tours regularly.
