At a press conference held at the Taipei Hotel to mark the founding of the advisory group, President Chen declared that human rights are the foundation of constitutional government. The government exists to promote and protect human rights, and every civil servant is obligated to act as their guardian. Praising those pioneers who sought human rights during the era of martial law and suffered greatly for it, he pointed out that human rights protection cannot rely entirely on laws. The cultivation of human rights awareness in those who carry out the laws is equally important.

Quoting Bo Yang, Chen said, "For all the mistakes and abuses committed in the past, we can be understanding, tolerant and forgiving, but we can never forget-because those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it." In response to human rights problems, Chen said that every nation must work to raise awareness and education, uphold international standards, and create legal mechanisms for promoting and protecting human rights. Furthermore, he noted that this was the responsibility of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the government.

The advisory group is split into six subgroups: one will keep abreast of international human rights agreements and propose changes to domestic laws to keep them in compliance; a second is responsible for monitoring foreign and domestic human rights developments and working to establish a "National Human Rights Commission"; a third will look for laws and regulations left over from the martial law era that fail to meet current standards and investigate how technological developments are affecting human rights; a fourth is charged with establishing ties to international human rights groups and NGOs; a fifth will focus on raising awareness about "human rights in the family" and building a tradition of human rights education; and the last group is responsible for reporting on the domestic human rights situation as it relates to politics, education, culture, children and women, as well as researching how to bring about improvements.

There are a total of 21 members in this group. Apart from Bo Yang, Huang Wen-hsiung and others who were victims of past government abuse, there are also people from the fields of religion, medicine and law, as well as representatives from women's groups, the aboriginal community, the media and so forth, all of whom are also veterans in the fight for human rights.

After Lu explained the United Nations' push for human rights around the world, she noted that the ultimate purpose of this group was to get the nation in synch with international human rights standards, so that people in Taiwan won't suffer just because the ROC isn't a member of the United Nations and can't sign its various human rights accords.

Lu noted that on the last International Human Rights Day of the century (December 10), the government will award medals of honor to victims of previous government abuse. The government has declared the week of December 4-10 as "Turn-of-the Century Human Rights Week." Activities include a "seminar looking at the past and future of human rights," a photo exhibition about the history of human rights, various memorial activities held on Green Island (the site of a former jail for political prisoners), and so forth.

Bo Yang, who is a member of the group, said that he hoped that beginning with this year's Human Rights Day on December 10, a "human rights wedding ceremony" would take place four times a year at the Office of the President, with the president conducting the ceremony. The first babies of these marriages would arrive the following year, like seeds for dissemination of human rights in Taiwan.

Over the past 100 years, Taiwan has passed through a dark era for human rights, when colonialism was followed by martial law. Yet in the 21st century, argues Lu, after a change in ruling parties has been accomplished peacefully and democratically for the first time in the history of Chinese society, human rights in the ROC won't just become a political slogan, nor even just a standard of morality. Rather, with the formation of the National Human Rights Commission and the participation of citizens, protection of human rights will become completely integrated into the legal system, culture and everyday life.