Peter Wen-shiung Huang (, also known as Peter Ng; born 2 October 1937) is a Taiwanese

activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...

for

democratization Democratization, or democratisation, is the structural government transition from an democratic transition, authoritarian government to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction ...

and

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

Education

Huang majored in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

at the

National Chengchi University National Chengchi University () is a public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. First established in Nanjing in 1927, the university was subsequently reestablished in 1954 in Taiwan as the first reestablished "National University". The u ...

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

and then served in the military for two years. In 1964, he applied to the graduate program in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

and studied there before transferring to a Ph.D. program at

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1966.

Assassination attempt

On April 24, 1970, Huang and his brother-in-law, Cheng Tzu-tsai, both members of the World United Formosans for Independence, were involved in the of then-Vice Premier

Chiang Ching-kuo Chiang Ching-kuo (, 27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China. The eldest and only biological son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China and ended ...

( Chiang Kai-shek's son) in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Huang approached Chiang with a gun at the

Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...

, but a

Diplomatic Security Service The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is the principal Specialist law enforcement agency, law enforcement and security agency of the United States Department of State (DOS). Its primary mission is to protect diplomatic assets, personnel, and info ...

special agent pushed him out of the way, causing the bullet to strike the hotel's revolving doors. The World United Formosans for Independence later issued a statement disclaiming involvement. He pleaded guilty in a 1971 trial to charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm, but was granted bail before sentencing, and fled the United States. Cheng Tzu-tsai also jumped bail in 1971 after his conviction, fleeing to Sweden for asylum, but was extradited to the US in 1972, sentenced in 1973 to up to five years in prison and later served an additional prison term in Taiwan for illegal entry. Huang viewed his assassination attempt as an act of opposition to the United States war in Vietnam and as an

anti-imperialist Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is opposition to imperialism or neocolonialism. Anti-imperialist sentiment typically manifests as a political principle in independence struggles against intervention or influenc ...

action, as he deemed the Taiwan government as an "accomplice of Washington." Cheng Tzu-tsai and Peter Huang 2018-02-02

Aftermath

Huang's action is considered a stimulus for political reform in Taiwan, which promotes the role of

Taiwanese people Taiwanese people are the Taiwanese nationality law, citizens and nationals of the Republic of China (ROC) and those who reside in an Overseas Taiwanese, overseas diaspora from the entire Taiwan Area. The term also refers to natives or inhabitan ...

in the political arena. He was in hiding for 25 years, returning to Taiwan in 1996, after Taiwan's statute of limitations had run out on further prosecution for the assassination attempt as one of the last persons who had not been permitted to return to Taiwan for political reasons. Huang was prosecuted and served four months in jail for violating the 1987 National Security Law for illegal entry, since he did not have an entry visa when he returned to Taiwan in 1996. In 1998, Huang became the director of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights. In 2000, he was appointed as National Policy Advisor to the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

for human rights issues. He is also an avid supporter of the

Green Party Taiwan Green Party Taiwan is a political party in Taiwan established on 25 January 1996. Although the party is sympathetic to Taiwanese nationalism and shares a number of centre-left positions with the Pan-Green Coalition, the party emphasizes campai ...

since its founding. Huang led

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

Taiwan from 2009 through 2013. In 2012, he was given an Alumni Excellence Award by the National Chengchi University for his lifelong commitment to democracy, freedom, and social movements. Huang shouted “Let me stand up like a Taiwanese!” upon being arrested after the failed assassination attempt. This phrase was later referenced in the song title (無名英雄 Stand Up Like A Taiwanese) by rock band

Fire EX. Fire Ex. () is a punk rock band from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, founded in 2000, which sings in both Taiwanese Hokkien and Mandarin Chinese. The group consists of Sam (vocals), Orio (guitar), Pipi (bass), and KG (drums). The band is known for their soci ...

, as well as repeated several times at the end of the heavy metal song “Supreme Pain for the Tyrant” by

Chthonic In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Huang, Peter 1937 births Amnesty International people Cornell University alumni Failed assassins National Chengchi University alumni Living people People from Hsinchu County Taiwan independence activists Taiwanese exiles Taiwanese human rights activists Taiwanese revolutionaries University of Pittsburgh alumni

Education

Assassination attempt

Aftermath

See also

References

External links