First Lady Accepts Freedom Prize on President's Behalf

First Lady Wu Shu-chen departed from Taipei on November 11 and headed for Strasbourg to receive the 2001 Prize for Freedom. The award ceremony was presided over by Pat Cox, chairman of the European Liberal Democrats (a party caucus in the European Parliament). In a taped address played during the ceremony, President Chen Shui-bian said that the honor being bestowed upon him belonged equally to the 23 million people of Taiwan, who love peace, freedom, and democracy.

President Chen stated that the history of Taiwan is written with the blood and tears of her own people. Today they live under the threat of military aggression from mainland China, yet they continue to use love and confidence to overcome the wounds of the past, and to build a democracy that they can be proud of. He also stressed his hope that Taiwan's democracy might serve as a catalyst for peaceful cross-strait relations, and that the two sides might be able to work for shared prosperity within the framework of a market economic system. And finally, the president expressed regret that he had not been able to accept the prize in person.

Wu Shu-chen also delivered an address, telling her audience how she and Chen had met, married, and worked side by side in the face of great adversity for the cause of democratic reform. She stated that the Prize of Freedom was deeply significant for the people of Taiwan and a great honor for her as the wife of the recipient, and she called upon the international community to work together for human rights, justice, and humanitarian values. After her speech, the 100-plus members of the European Parliament in attendance applauded for ten full minutes. Many expressed great admiration for her combination of wit and resilience.

Liberty International awards its Prize for Freedom to one person every year on the basis of a democratic vote by its members. Past recipients include Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Su Kyi, Czech president Vaclav Havel, and Irish president Mary Robinson. The event had originally been scheduled to take place in Denmark, but the venue was switched to the European Parliament building in Strasbourg after the Danish government declined to host the ROC president. After France also refused to issue a visa to President Chen, the First Lady was chosen to accept the award on Chen's behalf. The French government put tight restrictions on where Wu was allowed to travel and the rank of those accompanying her, yet in spite of these concessions to Beijing, the PRC authorities still bombarded members of the European Parliament with messages of protest and sent officials to monitor the proceedings from start to finish.

At a press conference held upon her return to Taiwan, Wu related what Pat Cox had told her: The UN can invite anyone to come to New York and receive a prize with or without US consent, and he hopes the European Parliament will never again be prevented from awarding an honor to anyone due to visa restrictions.

Wu's return to Taiwan coincided with the date of the auto incident that left her paralyzed 16 years ago. President Chen became choked with emotion several times during the press conference that day as he looked back on the events of the past 16 years, noting that even though the vehicle that ran his wife over during his 1985 campaign for county magistrate had left her unable to walk, she nevertheless stands tall in her love for Taiwan.

We are confident that human rights and freedom are universally cherished values in the Republic of China. We are also confident that no person of virtue stands alone, for there will always be others of like mind. As long as we have friends in the international community who support us, we will always be able to "stand up and be counted."