Lei Chen

For the Hong Kong actor, see Kelly Lai Chen.
Not to be confused with Chen Lei.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Lei.
Lei Chen
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Lei Chen (Chinese: 雷震; pinyin: Léi Zhèn; 8 July 1897 – 7 March 1979) was a Chinese politician and dissident who was the early leading figure in the movement to bring fuller democracy to the government of the Republic of China.

Born in Zhejiang in 1897,[1] Lei was educated at Kyoto Imperial University in Japan. His early political career included posts as the secretary-general of the National Political Assembly [zh] and Constituent National Assembly [zh].[2] He also served on the Control Yuan,[3] as minister without portfolio, and presidential adviser.[2]

Lei Chen helped found and produce the periodical Free China, published beginning in 1950.[4][5] Lei was expelled from the Kuomintang in 1954.[6] Six years later, he founded the China Democracy Party with Hsu Shih-hsien and Huang Hua, among others.[7][8] Shortly thereafter, Lei was charged with sedition and jailed.[9] The charges are widely regarded as having been falsified by the Taiwan government and its then-ruling party the Kuomintang in response to Lei Chen's criticisms.[10]

He was released in 1970[11] and died on 7 March 1979, aged 82.[12][13] He was married to Sung Ying, who had also served on the Control Yuan.[14] Lei was posthumously exonerated by the Transitional Justice Commission in May 2019.[15][16]

References

  1. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (9 July 2007). "President inaugurates Lei Chen Web site". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b "One man's struggle for a nation's freedom". Taipei Times. Translated by Huang, Francis; Svensson, Perry; Chang, Eddy; Lin, Jackie; Shaw, Grace. 5 September 2002. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Declassified archives show Taiwan's missile project in the '70s". Taiwan News. Central News Agency. 16 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  4. ^ Mo, Yan-chih (8 March 2012). "Ma apologizes for KMT wrongs, White Terror era". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  5. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (3 September 2007). "Hsieh launches electronic book on Lei Chen's life". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  6. ^ Han Cheung (18 March 2018). "Taiwan in Time: Chiang Kai-shek's last challenger". Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  7. ^ Mo, Yan-chih; Chang, Rich (8 March 2009). "Ma praises Lei Chen for work on democracy". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  8. ^ Han Cheung (24 June 2018). "Taiwan in Time: A phoenix among dragons". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  9. ^ Huang, Jewel (4 September 2003). "New books honor Lei Chen". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  10. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (18 July 2007). "INTERVIEW: Lei Mei-lin says she still bears a grudge". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  11. ^ "A foe of regime released in Taiwan". New York Times. 13 September 1970. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  12. ^ "President Ma opens Lei Chen memorial museum, research center". Taiwan Today. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  13. ^ Jacobs, J. Bruce (2012). Democratizing Taiwan. Brill. p. 43. ISBN 9789004221543.
  14. ^ "Military authorities burn Lei Chen Memoirs" (PDF). Taiwan Communiqué (36): 2. September 1988. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  15. ^ Wang, Flor; Wang, Cheng-chung (30 May 2019). "Fourth list of exonerations during White Terror era released". Central News Agency. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  16. ^ Chen, Yu-fu; Hsiao, Sherry (31 May 2019). "More than 2,000 convictions overturned". Taipei Times. Retrieved 31 May 2019.