Sunday, December 09, 2007

Political prisoners, human rights workers visit ex-detention center

Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA) International human rights workers visiting the Jingmei Military Detention Center Sunday said it was an eye-opening experience while ex-political prisoners described it as a reminder of Taiwan's "bad old days".

Close to 100 former political prisoners, some of whom spent up to 12 years in the center during the 1970s and 1980s, accompanied by the international human rights workers who offered their assistance in rescuing the prisoners, visited the suburb compound -- recently renamed Jingmei Human Rights Memorial Park by Taiwan's government.

The site is a vast compound which used to house the military courts of the Taiwan Garrison Command and a detention center for political prisoners.

It was also where eight leaders of the Kaohsiung Incident, including Vice President Annette Lu, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu, and former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairmen Shih Ming-deh and Lin Yi-hsiung, stood trial under martial law.

"I was in Room 48. You were in 43, right? " Lin Shu-chi asked his "cell mates" who arrived with him earlier. Memories may fade away, but something you just don't forget, said Lin, who spent a part of his 12 year prison life in Jingmei before being moved to the Green Island.

The only part of the site which has undergone major change was the administration building, which was kept intact but penetrated by several newly-built concrete walls, symbolizing democracy's victory over an authoritative regime, explained architect Chien Hsueh-yi.

The court room of the Kaohsiung Incident trial has been turned into an exhibition room, displaying documents, photographs, relics and articles related to the incident.

Roger and Doris Chao, a Taiwanese-German couple who called on Taiwan's authority to immediate release political prisoners following the incident, were in awe of the atmosphere of the court room. It was there that the Taiwanese prisoners, whom they didn't even know but nonetheless tried to help, stood trial.

A tour of the cells was the highlight of the visit. Former prisoners, most of whom are over 60 years-old, looked for the cells where they stayed 30 years ago. Annette Lu and Chen Chu shared room 59 in the second floor, where female prisoners were kept.

Pointing at a wash-basin on the floor, Huang Hua explained the prisoners had to wash hands, dishes, and bathe in the tiny space. Usually, there were six to seven inmates kept in a 12 square meter room, he said.

Cell mates were allowed to walk around an open space for 20 minutes twice or three times per week; it was our only chance to see the sky and embrace "free air, " he added.

Tsai Tsai-yuan, who was beaten almost to death in the center, showed visitors how he wrote an SOS message and flipped the spitball out of the cracked gap of the window, hoping someone would notice it and bring help.

"I knew that family members of the prisoners would pass by my window on visiting days, so I took the chance, " Tsai said. And he succeeded. His notes was sent out to international human rights organizations and his life was spared.

"This is the real history, " said Gerrit van der Wees, senior political advisor of Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), after listening to stories told by ex-prisoners. He said that Taiwanese should know what really happened during the "White Terror" days.

After the park is inaugurated by President Chen Shui-bian Monday and opened to the public, they will be able to see for themselves.