Taiwan President Lai emphasizes protection of democracy on 39th anniversary of the lifting of martial law
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te released a message to the public on the anniversary marking 39 years since the lifting of martial law in Taiwan. President Lai reflected on the history of democratization that Taiwan has traversed and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the current free society.
President Lai touched upon the military and political pressure Taiwan is currently facing from China. He pointed out that China's aim is to weaken the trust that the Taiwanese people have in their democratic institutions and to shake the public's will to defend Taiwan.
Furthermore, President Lai strongly appealed that "Taiwan must be protected from encroachment by authoritarianism." He called for the necessity of Taiwanese society to unite and continue to share the values of democracy in order to counter external threats.
These remarks serve to demonstrate the importance of democracy both domestically and internationally amidst rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese government intends to continue its efforts to protect its democratic institutions and peace while collaborating with the international community.