Press Release

Legislative Yuan

March 29, 2022

President You receives a delegation led by National Endowment for Democracy President Damon Wilson

President You Si-kun:

Looking forward to sharing Taiwan’s experience of democratization at the Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy

On the afternoon of March 29, Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun received a delegation led by National Endowment for Democracy (NED) President Damon Wilson. Accompanying President You were Democratic Progressive Party Whip Ker Chien-ming, Legislator Mark Ho, Taiwan People’s Party Caucus Deputy Whip Lai Hsiang-ling, New Power Party Caucus Director General Wang Wan-yu, Legislative Secretary General Lin Jih-jia, Consultant Chou Ya-Shu, Secretariat Director Kung Ping-chieh, Deputy Foreign Minister Harry Ho-jen Tseng, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of North American Affairs Regine Chen, and Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) President Huang Yu-lin and Vice President Ketty W. Chen.      

In his welcome remarks, President You described the NED as a long-time champion of democratic values, civil rights, and fundamental freedoms. President You called this a vital and challenging undertaking. He stated that he looked forward to Taiwan sharing its experience of democratization over the past century at the 11th Global Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy—to be held for the first time in Taiwan this October, and said he hoped that global democratization could be realized as soon as possible.

President Wilson responded by sharing his delight at being able to visit the Legislative Yuan—the seat of democracy in Taiwan—and said that his delegation thanked the people of Taiwan for their warm welcome. The NED was established to promote freedom and democracy, and this visit to Taiwan to recognize the contributions and efforts of Taiwan’s civil society marks the delegation’s first stop in Asia. President Wilson stated that Taiwan’s inspirational democracy showed strong resilience and solidarity, and that such values are especially significant when we reflect on the current situation in Myanmar and Hong Kong, and the pressures faced by Lithuania in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Wilson said that the NED felt optimistic about future challenges, that he believed ordinary citizens supporting democracy and freedom were able to achieve extraordinary results, and that he hoped to spread this optimism through the NED’s visit to Taiwan. Finally, President Wilson said he looked forward to meeting other pro-democracy advocates at the upcoming Global Assembly in October and to learn from Taiwan’s experience of democratization.

President You responded by assuring President Wilson that the NED had made the right decision in choosing to cohost the Global Assembly with the TFD. He highlighted that—in addition to his own role as the congressional leader of Taiwan’s ruling party—the leaders of opposition parties were also in attendance at the meeting. President You went on to explain how the TFD board was comprised of members from different political parties, which demonstrates the importance of democracy in Taiwan. President You also highlighted that Taiwan had been ranked as the world’s eighth-strongest democracy in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s new 2021 Democracy Index, and that such hard-earned recognition was the result of collective efforts across all political parties.

Remarks were then given by Democratic Progressive Party Caucus Whip Ker Chien-ming who described how, since its inception in 1983, the NED had attracted increasing attention and an expanding annual budget from the US Congress. Mr. Ker said this admirable achievement was a testament to President Wilson’s political acumen and experience. He noted that Taiwan had endured thirty-eight years of martial law—the longest period ever imposed before being surpassed by Syria—during which time numerous lives were lost. He pointed out that people in Taiwan are very much aware this historical struggle, and that today Taiwan continues to strengthen its democracy through transitional justice. Mr. Ker finished by saying that Taiwan was honored to have the opportunity to host the upcoming Global Assembly, and that the assembly would greatly benefit democracy in Taiwan.

Next to speak was Caucus Deputy Whip Lai Hsiang-ling from the Taiwan People’s Party. Ms. Lai stated that the NED’s decision to hold its 11th Global Assembly in Taipei was a clear sign of recognition for Taiwan. She explained how the people of Taiwan in years past fought hard for labor rights, women’s rights, and environmental protection, and highlighted that many Taiwanese legislators in office today were in fact borne of that very period. She also noted how, despite differing opinions on certain issues, party members across the political spectrum shared a consensus when it came to core political issues, such as the normalization of Taiwan as a country through constitutional amendment. Ms. Lai stated that this shared goal required collective efforts, and also that the NED’s visit to Taiwan would help Taiwanese to learn more about related matters and the overall spirit of democracy.

New Power Party Caucus Director-General Wang Wan-yu then addressed the meeting, reiterating that Taiwan’s freedom and democracy were hard-earned and warning Taiwanese against complacency. Instead, she said, Taiwan must continue to safeguard and strengthen its democracy, such as by working on transitional justice—as already mentioned by DPP Caucus Whip Ker, and by improving the rights of children and the mentally and physically disabled. Ms. Wang said she looked forward to seeing like-minded partners advancing these causes together, and to continuing to counter any violations of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom.