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President marks anniversary of student activist’s death

President marks anniversary of student activist’s death

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – President Tsai Ing-wen and Education Minister Pan Wen-chung each marked the anniversary Saturday of the suicide of a student activist who opposed changes in textbooks.
Lin Kuan-hua, 20, took his own life at home on July 30 last year to protest against the Ma Ying-jeou Administration’s decision to revise history textbooks, apparently reinforcing links to China and de-emphasizing native Taiwanese issues.
On her Facebook page Saturday, Tsai emphasized that the new commission in charge of textbook content design would include 22 representatives of students from different family and ethnic backgrounds, which would guarantee a diversity of viewpoints in teaching materials.
The school would turn into a common learning place for students and teachers, Tsai wrote.
Separately, the Presbyterian Church organized a commemorative event outside the Ministry of Education Saturday, which was attended by Lin’s mother and by Minister Pan, who is part of the new government which took office last May.
During the protests last year, students occupied part of the MOE complex to demand the original textbook content be brought back.
The action was seen against the background of general malaise with the Ma Administration’s policies, with the occupation of the Legislative Yuan by the Sunflower Movement and massive anti-nuclear protests in 2014 as some of the highlights of increased social awareness among mostly young people.