For nearly 40 years the Republic of China was under a state of martial law. In that era national security and social stability were given paramount importance, while human rights were given short shrift. This resulted in great tragedy for many individuals and families. While it is certainly true that what's past is past, people must learn from history lest they be condemned to repeat it.

The Human Rights Education Foundation, which aims to raise people's understanding about human rights, was able to gain the strong support of both former President Lee Teng-hui and current President Chen Shui-bian to establish a human rights memorial where once there stood a political prison on Green Island. There was a need for a memorial, its promoters argued, "so that mothers would never again have to shed tears for children imprisoned for their beliefs." Now it bears the names of 897 people who have fought on behalf of human rights.

On the night before Human Rights Day, the foundation invited to Green Island cultural figures as well as others who had won awards for developing a human rights curriculum for schools. They also held a Human Rights Seminar to reflect upon the new developments in human rights over the past year. Bo Yang, a key figure in the movement to get the memorial established, said that his most vivid memories are those of the nine years he spent in the Green Island prison. He hopes that all people in Taiwan will visit this beautiful island to reflect upon the tragedies that transpired here and to treasure the democracy that they enjoy today.

Both the Taiwan Association for Human Rights Advocacy Group and the Chinese Association for Human Rights have recently released separate reports that have been rather critical about the state of human rights in Taiwan. Bo Yang believes that it will forever be impossible for a nation to get a perfect score for human rights, and that the best you can do is strive always to improve. Whatever you do, Bo argues, "don't lose faith in democracy," or you will find yourselves moving backward.

Chen Chu, whose name was carved into the memorial this time, noted, "People in Taiwan have shed a lot of blood and tears for human rights. Now everyone acknowledges human rights as something fundamental. You can't say that this isn't progress." She hopes that human rights groups will be more specific in their criticisms, so that improving these shortcomings will become the common goals of Taiwan's people and government.

On the night before International Human Rights Day, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and the Chinese Association for Human Rights independently released critical reports about the state of human rights in the ROC. TAHR argued that President Chen Shui-bian, who has generally spared no effort in promoting human rights, violated some human rights principles in campaigning for DPP candidates prior to the recent elections. In its "2001 Report on Human Rights in Taiwan," CAHR used the term "atrocious" to describe Taiwan's scores in many human rights categories.

Their assessment elicited polarized reactions. For example, in a seminar sponsored by the Human Rights Education Foundation, many former political prisoners expressed their own mystification as to how academics can be so critical of Taiwan's current human rights record, when anyone can freely criticize the nation's leaders.

Or perhaps, as Bo Yang says, there is no single yardstick by which to judge human rights. As long is there is something to criticize, there will be room for improvement. The important thing, said Bo, is to have faith in democracy. With regard to concrete government measures, the Office of the President, the Executive Yuan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Council of Grand Justices have all made constructive declarations about human rights. The draft of the Organizational Law for the National Human Rights Commission has already been completed and is going to be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review. The Basic Human Rights Protection Law, which is related to bringing domestic law into accord with international standards, is being drafted. In 2001 the government published a "White Paper on National Human Rights Policy" and in 2002 will establish a National Human Rights Action Outline. The future of human rights in Taiwan is sure to grow brighter and brighter.

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At the invitation of the Human Rights Education Foundation, cultural figures visited the human rights monument on Green Island. Bo Yang (center) and Chen Chu (second from left) were political prisoners. (photo by Tim Hsueh)