Liang Su-yung

Liang Su-yung (Chinese: 梁肅戎; pinyin: Liáng Sùróng; 8 August 1920 – 27 August 2004) was a Taiwanese politician who served in the first Legislative Yuan from 1948 to 1991. He was elevated to vice president of the parliament in 1988, and retired in 1991 as its leader. Prior to his political career, he worked as a human rights lawyer.[1]

Liang Su-yung
梁肅戎
Vice President of the Legislative Yuan acting after 2 December 1991
In office 18 October 1988 – 31 December 1991
President	Ni Wen-ya
Preceded by	Liu Kwo-tsai
Succeeded by	Liu Sung-pan
President of the Legislative Yuan acting until 27 February 1991
In office 2 December 1990 – 31 December 1991
Vice President	Liu Sung-pan
Preceded by	Liu Kwo-tsai
Succeeded by	Liu Sung-pan
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office 18 May 1948 – 31 December 1991
Constituency	Liaopeh
Personal details
Born	(1920-08-08)8 August 1920 Changtu County, Liaoning, Republic of China
Died	27 August 2004(2004-08-27) (aged 84) Taipei, Taiwan
Nationality	Taiwanese
Political party	Kuomintang
Alma mater	Meiji University

Career

Born in Changtu County in 1920, Liang obtained an LLD and SJD from Japan's Meiji University, after having studied at Changchun Law and Political University.[2] In 1941, he became a prosecutor in Changchun.[3] In the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Liang became an intelligence operative based in northeastern China, feeding information within the Japanese-occupied territory to Chongqing, the provincial capital of Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government. Liang was arrested and taken as a Japanese prisoner of war in 1944. He was released upon Japanese surrender in 1945.[4] The experience left a tremendous impression on Liang, who would make the cause of human rights a motif of his life's work.[3] Liang was elected as a legislator for his home province of Liaoning in 1948 as hostilities between Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party forces resumed following the Japanese surrender. Liang followed Chiang to Taiwan after the KMT were driven off the mainland completely in 1949.

Under martial law in Taiwan, Liang gained a reputation as a fierce defender of human rights and advocated non-violence with regards to the protest movement, in contrast to the more militarist wing of the KMT. He stepped forward in 1960 to defend pro-democracy activist Lei Chen, who was charged with sedition for criticizing Chiang's regime. Liang's defense of Lei angered Chiang, who strongly considered Liang's expulsion from the Kuomintang. Despite this threat, Liang later defended Peng Ming-min, who stood accused of the same charges in 1964. After Chiang's death in 1975, Liang worked as a troubleshooter for the better part of a decade between Chiang's son, Chiang Ching-kuo, and the Tangwai movement as the government began to relax some controls on free speech and political dissent. Liang also took credit for persuading Chiang Ching-kuo to handle protests in a peaceful manner.[5] Liang was one of the founding members of the National Unification Council formed in 1990.[6] In 1991, Liang became the leader of the Legislative Yuan. He was involved in a fight on the floor of the parliament that same year. It began when Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chang Chun-hsiung hit Liang in the face, causing Liang to respond in kind.[7] Liang was also injured by a glass thrown by Ju Gau-jeng.[8] In addition to his position as a legislator, Liang was also a senior advisor to President Lee Teng-hui.[9]

After his retirement from politics, Liang became president of the Straits Peaceful Reunification Association.[10] Personally, he continually pushed for Chinese unification,[11] opposed Lee's policy of Taiwanization,[5] and repeatedly attempted to expel Lee from the Kuomintang.[12]

Liang died of anaphylactic shock caused by pneumonia at Cathay General Hospital in Taipei on 27 August 2004, at the age of 84.[4][13]

References

1. "Hats In Ring For Yuan Posts". Taiwan Info. 12 February 1990. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
2. "Liu Named KMT's Man To Top Post". Taiwan Today. 20 February 1989. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
3. "We want to reunify China with peace talk not war" (PDF). Executive Intelligence Review. 2 September 1994. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
4. "Former KMT Legislative Speaker Liang dies at 84 in Taipei". China Post. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
5. Hsu, Crystal (8 July 2001). "Old soldier stands his ground". Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
6. "Unification Council To Debut". Taiwan Today/Taiwan Info. 4 October 1990. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016. Alt URL
7. "Lawmakers, police hurt in Taiwan brawl". Spokane Chronicle. Associated Press. 12 April 1991. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
8. Shih, Hsiu-chuan (30 June 2007). "Feature: Paper cup ban will not extend to legislature". Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
9. "Shares Lifted By Mainland Talks News". Wall Street Journal. 26 April 1996. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
10. Faison, Seth (9 August 1999). "New Goal in Taiwan: To Be Left Alone". New York Times. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
11. "KMT debates Lien's `confederation'". Taipei Times. 3 July 2001. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
12. Hsu, Crystal (1 August 2001). "Elder bleeds for Lee's expulsion". Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
13. "Ex-legislative speaker dies". Taipei Times. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 19 February 2016.