wfn.org | PCT produces DVD documentary on Kaohsiung Incident

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3040 Edition

>May 31~June 6, 2010

PCT produces DVD documentary on Kaohsiung Incident

>Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

>Written by Lydia Ma

This year marks the 31st anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident  (also known in 
Taiwan as the

Formosa Incident) and PCT Church and Society Committee has filmed  a 
documentary to

commemorate this incident. It hopes the film will inspire younger  generations 
in churches to

stand up for democracy and stay rooted in their Christian faith.

The documentary consists of two DVDs, one entitled “30th  Anniversary of 
Formosa Incident”

and the other entitled “30th Anniversary of Declaration on  Human Rights”. The 
two DVDs are

>available in English and Chinese.

An important portion of the documentary introduces the story of a  few 
courageous students at

Tainan Theological College and Seminary (TTCS) and their efforts  in promoting 
democracy

as the Kaohsiung Incident unfolded. These students’ actions  reflected PCT 
efforts during a

time when martial law was still in effect throughout Taiwan.

The storyline revolves around a student organization in TTCS in  the late 1970s 
and the

challenges its members faced as they fought for democracy when the  KMT 
government

clamped down on pro-democracy demonstrators shortly after the  Kaohsiung 
Incident. These

students’ stories aren’t widely known and PCT will shed  light on them through 
this

>documentary.

“All of our members stood in solidarity with one another. The  government’s 
investigation

bureau couldn’t get to us. That’s why they hired  professors and other students 
to snoop on us.

When we held lectures, some students secretly taped what was being  discussed 
and

delivered it to KMT authorities. The KMT government gave them  NT$800 every 
month for

doing this,” said Rev. Hsu Tien-Hsien, a chaplain at  PCT-affiliated Sinlau 
Hospital.

Hsu was a member of this student organization at the time. He  recalled that 
government spies

had created a lot of tension at TTCS at the time and people’s  fears heightened 
when the

Kaohsiung Incident broke out and arrests began. At one point, TTCS  officials 
considered

asking students to stop anti-government protests or events for the  sake of 
student safety.

In the end, the school chose to respect academic freedom and  didn’t intervene 
in student

activities. This gesture gave way to many lectures that attracted  students and 
professors from

other universities who also longed for democracy. In the end, TTCS  became a 
beacon of light

and a platform for democracy in southern Taiwan during that era.

PCT is aware that many youth in its pews have a very limited  understanding of 
the Kaohsiung

Incident even though it occurred merely 30 years ago. This trend  prompted 
Church and

Society Committee to call seminarians who were involved in this  movement to 
prepare this

>documentary.

History can only be preserved by dissemination and education. PCT  hopes that 
interviews

and first-hand accounts of this incident will strengthen its  legacy as a 
pioneer for democracy in

Taiwan and ensure that youth and future generations keep this  heritage alive 
by incorporating

>it into their Christian faith.

This DVD is available in both Chinese and English languages.  Church and Society

Committee hopes that churches will use it often during group  meetings as an 
educational

resource to strengthen PCT ministries. For a copy of the DVD,  contact PCT 
Church and

>Society Committee at (02) 2362-5282 ext.258.

>********************

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