TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese lawyer and one-time Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative candidate Chen Chun-han (陳俊翰) died on Sunday (Feb. 11) at the age of 40.
The DPP released a statement on Thursday that said Chen was sent to the emergency department of National Taiwan University Hospital’s Hsinchu branch on Saturday and passed away the next day. Chen is suspected to have died from complications arising from a cold.
Chen’s family said they have handled funeral arrangements privately and chose not to make any public announcement during the Lunar New Year holiday. The DPP announced the news of Chen’s passing on the family’s behalf, thanking the public for their concern, and saying the party was shocked and deeply saddened.
Following the DPP statement, Chen’s family said they were extremely sad to say goodbye. “We can only pray Chun-han will be able to forget the pain of his illness in a better place,” the family said in a post.
Born in 1984, Chen suffered from spinal muscular atrophy since he was a child and had severely limited mobility. Chen studied accounting and law at National Taiwan University, received a master’s in law from Harvard University, and a doctorate in the same subject from the University of Michigan.
Chen was licensed to practice law in Taiwan and the U.S. and served as a postdoctoral research fellow at Academia Sinica. He also stood for election as a legislator on the DPP's party list during the 2024 general election.
The family said a public memorial service will be held at the Hsinchu City Mortuary Services Office (新竹市生命紀念園區) at 10 a.m. on Feb. 27. In the meantime, they asked for space to mourn their lost relative.
President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) responded to the death and said the party will continue to strive for the ideals Chen upheld. “Chun-han, your body never limited your dreams,” Lai said.
Taiwan’s premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) also expressed his sadness at Chen’s passing and said his life was a story of struggle and fearlessness in the face of physical limitations. Chen said he believes more people like Chen will work with the DPP to promote human rights.
The Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) responded to the news of Chen’s passing, offering condolences to his family. Chen’s decision to return to Taiwan after studying abroad to fight for the rights of those with disabilities is admirable and to be respected, the TPP said in a post.