DYING WISH Fifty-six years after his death, the family of Huang Wen-kung, who was executed during the White Terror era, finally read his message of love and courage
By Hsieh Wen-hua / STAFF REPORTER
As is the case with many victims of political repression during the White Terror era, the death of dentist Huang Wen-kung (黃溫恭) was long a taboo subject in his family.
Now, a secret that even Huang’s wife and his daughter did not know has been pieced together and brought to light by his 29-year-old granddaughter, Chang Yi-Lung (張旖容).
“I was amazed to see that my grandfather had written five letters to express his dying wish before he was executed 56 years ago,” Chang said.
Because Huang’s executioners did not give his last letters to his family, his wish that his body be used for research went unfulfilled. Instead, he was buried at the Liuzhangli (六張犁) cemetery in Taipei. It was also to the Huang family’s regret that his widow was not able to read her husband’s words of love and sorrow at parting.
EXECUTION
Huang was executed by firing squad soon after Chang’s mother, Huang Chun-lan (黃春蘭), was born, so he never had a chance to see his daughter.
Chang said her family hardly ever mentioned her grandfather during her childhood.
But when she was in senior high school, she came across a sentence in a book her uncle was writing about hypnosis: “My father was executed by the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT].” It was only then that she realized there was more to her grandfather’s death than she had been told.
Chang tried to get some answers from her family, but all her mother would say was: “He died, that’s all.” After that, Chang decided to try and dig up government files about her father’s case.
Chang knew her grandfather’s full name from her mother’s identification card. While reading A People’s History of the 228 Incident and the White Terror by Lan Po-chou (藍博洲), Chang found an account of her grandfather’s arrest.
EXHIBITION
Two years ago, when the Ministry of Education under the then-Democratic Progresive Party (DPP) administration held an exhibition entitled Farewell, President Chiang [Kai-shek], someone also came across an online copy of a document signed by Chiang ordering Huang Wen-kung’s execution.
Chang found out that her grandfather had originally been sentenced to 15 years in prison, but dictator Chiang changed it to a death sentence at the stroke of a pen.
Last year, when Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), chairman of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, visited Taiwan, it brought back memories of the Martial Law era to some, prompting them to post requests for stories about the Martial Law period on Internet bulletin boards.
A post by Chang reads: “Martial law is really not so far away. At the least, my family was affected by it.”
In response to her comment, a student at National Taiwan University wrote her a letter suggesting that she visit the National Archives Administration and ask to view the dossier on her grandfather’s case.
FIVE LETTERS
When Chang opened the more than 300-page file on Huang Wen-kung, she was astonished to find in it five letters written by Huang to his wife, sister and his three children shortly before his death.
“Dear Chun-lan, I was arrested when you were still in your mother’s womb. What a pity that we, father and daughter, can never meet! What could be more tragic than that? Although I have never seen you, held you or kissed you, I love and care for you just the same. I am so sorry that I cannot do my duty as a father, Chun-lan! Can you forgive your poor old dad?” Huang Wen-kung wrote.
Now, a secret that even Huang’s wife and his daughter did not know has been pieced together and brought to light by his 29-year-old granddaughter, Chang Yi-Lung (張旖容).
“I was amazed to see that my grandfather had written five letters to express his dying wish before he was executed 56 years ago,” Chang said.
Because Huang’s executioners did not give his last letters to his family, his wish that his body be used for research went unfulfilled. Instead, he was buried at the Liuzhangli (六張犁) cemetery in Taipei. It was also to the Huang family’s regret that his widow was not able to read her husband’s words of love and sorrow at parting.
EXECUTION
Huang was executed by firing squad soon after Chang’s mother, Huang Chun-lan (黃春蘭), was born, so he never had a chance to see his daughter.
Chang said her family hardly ever mentioned her grandfather during her childhood.
But when she was in senior high school, she came across a sentence in a book her uncle was writing about hypnosis: “My father was executed by the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT].” It was only then that she realized there was more to her grandfather’s death than she had been told.
Chang tried to get some answers from her family, but all her mother would say was: “He died, that’s all.” After that, Chang decided to try and dig up government files about her father’s case.
Chang knew her grandfather’s full name from her mother’s identification card. While reading A People’s History of the 228 Incident and the White Terror by Lan Po-chou (藍博洲), Chang found an account of her grandfather’s arrest.
EXHIBITION
Two years ago, when the Ministry of Education under the then-Democratic Progresive Party (DPP) administration held an exhibition entitled Farewell, President Chiang [Kai-shek], someone also came across an online copy of a document signed by Chiang ordering Huang Wen-kung’s execution.
Chang found out that her grandfather had originally been sentenced to 15 years in prison, but dictator Chiang changed it to a death sentence at the stroke of a pen.
Last year, when Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), chairman of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, visited Taiwan, it brought back memories of the Martial Law era to some, prompting them to post requests for stories about the Martial Law period on Internet bulletin boards.
A post by Chang reads: “Martial law is really not so far away. At the least, my family was affected by it.”
In response to her comment, a student at National Taiwan University wrote her a letter suggesting that she visit the National Archives Administration and ask to view the dossier on her grandfather’s case.
FIVE LETTERS
When Chang opened the more than 300-page file on Huang Wen-kung, she was astonished to find in it five letters written by Huang to his wife, sister and his three children shortly before his death.
“Dear Chun-lan, I was arrested when you were still in your mother’s womb. What a pity that we, father and daughter, can never meet! What could be more tragic than that? Although I have never seen you, held you or kissed you, I love and care for you just the same. I am so sorry that I cannot do my duty as a father, Chun-lan! Can you forgive your poor old dad?” Huang Wen-kung wrote.
“This is the first time in all my 56 years that I have ever felt that my father cared for me and loved me,” said Huang Chun-lan when Chang gave her father’s last letter to her mother, and the first time that Chang heard her mother speak of her feelings for her grandfather.
DYING WORDS
“When I read my grandfather’s dying words, I felt for the first time that he was more than just a name,” Chang said.
“He had feelings, thoughts and a character. He really existed. At last my grandfather began to take on features in my imagination,” Chang said.
Huang Wen-kung’s last letter to his wife shows his boundless love as well as his grief.
“I sincerely hope you will be bold and marry again. If by any chance you don’t meet the right man, I still don’t want you to live a lonely, gray life. I want you to take whatever road you believe will bring you the greatest happiness,” Huang Wen-kung wrote.
Visibly upset, Chang said: “Why didn’t they give his last letters to his family? If my grandmother had received his letter at the time, she might have had a better life.”
Chang said her grandmother started suffering from Alzheimer’s disease more than 10 years ago. She no longer recognizes her children and grandchildren, but continues to look at her identity card every day.
Only later did Chang find out that after her grandfather was arrested, intelligence agents would come around to check at mealtime, three times a day, who was in the house, so the family lived in constant fear.
BODY
Huang also wrote: “Don’t come to claim my body. I want it to be given to the National Taiwan University College of Medicine or another medical training institute. When I was a student, we dissected bodies in practical anatomy classes and learned a great deal of medical knowledge by doing so. If my body can be dissected by students and help them gain a deeper knowledge of medicine, that will be something really meaningful.”
Human rights researchers Tsao Chin-jung (曹欽榮) and Hung Lung-bang (洪隆邦) could not conceal their emotions as they read Huang Wen-kung’s dying wish.
IMPRESSIVE
It was really impressive to read about how a political prisoner 56 years ago cared so much for humankind that he wanted to contribute his “surplus value” — a praiseworthy example compared with today, when medical ethics have become so corrupted, they said.
To piece together the traces of her grandfather’s life, Chang, a research assistant at Academia Sinica, also wrote the dentistry school Huang attended in Japan, and later visited the school herself.
There Chang found out what her grandfather looked like when he was a young man.
From Huang Wen-kung’s admission documents, she learned that the person he most admired was Louis Pasteur, the father of bacteriology.
VISIT
A little while ago, Chang traveled south to Yenchao (燕巢) in Kaohsiung County to visit Lu Biquan (呂碧全), the only other person who was charged in the same case as her grandfather who is still alive today.
From Lu she learned that, when her grandfather was working at the Jihchun Clinic, he also did some research on mushroom cultivation.
Before his death, he told his fellow prisoner his findings on growing mushrooms in the hope that his cellmate would continue the research and make a living from it when he was released from prison.
Taipei Times
Wed, Jul 15, 2009 - Page 3
DYING WORDS
“When I read my grandfather’s dying words, I felt for the first time that he was more than just a name,” Chang said.
“He had feelings, thoughts and a character. He really existed. At last my grandfather began to take on features in my imagination,” Chang said.
Huang Wen-kung’s last letter to his wife shows his boundless love as well as his grief.
“I sincerely hope you will be bold and marry again. If by any chance you don’t meet the right man, I still don’t want you to live a lonely, gray life. I want you to take whatever road you believe will bring you the greatest happiness,” Huang Wen-kung wrote.
Visibly upset, Chang said: “Why didn’t they give his last letters to his family? If my grandmother had received his letter at the time, she might have had a better life.”
Chang said her grandmother started suffering from Alzheimer’s disease more than 10 years ago. She no longer recognizes her children and grandchildren, but continues to look at her identity card every day.
Only later did Chang find out that after her grandfather was arrested, intelligence agents would come around to check at mealtime, three times a day, who was in the house, so the family lived in constant fear.
BODY
Huang also wrote: “Don’t come to claim my body. I want it to be given to the National Taiwan University College of Medicine or another medical training institute. When I was a student, we dissected bodies in practical anatomy classes and learned a great deal of medical knowledge by doing so. If my body can be dissected by students and help them gain a deeper knowledge of medicine, that will be something really meaningful.”
Human rights researchers Tsao Chin-jung (曹欽榮) and Hung Lung-bang (洪隆邦) could not conceal their emotions as they read Huang Wen-kung’s dying wish.
IMPRESSIVE
It was really impressive to read about how a political prisoner 56 years ago cared so much for humankind that he wanted to contribute his “surplus value” — a praiseworthy example compared with today, when medical ethics have become so corrupted, they said.
To piece together the traces of her grandfather’s life, Chang, a research assistant at Academia Sinica, also wrote the dentistry school Huang attended in Japan, and later visited the school herself.
There Chang found out what her grandfather looked like when he was a young man.
From Huang Wen-kung’s admission documents, she learned that the person he most admired was Louis Pasteur, the father of bacteriology.
VISIT
A little while ago, Chang traveled south to Yenchao (燕巢) in Kaohsiung County to visit Lu Biquan (呂碧全), the only other person who was charged in the same case as her grandfather who is still alive today.
From Lu she learned that, when her grandfather was working at the Jihchun Clinic, he also did some research on mushroom cultivation.
Before his death, he told his fellow prisoner his findings on growing mushrooms in the hope that his cellmate would continue the research and make a living from it when he was released from prison.
Taipei Times
Wed, Jul 15, 2009 - Page 3
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