In March 2000, the candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party, Chen Shuibian, won the presidential election in Taiwan. This signified the first transfer of power from the GMD to the political opposition. Chen, a lawyer by profession, has taken a strong interest in human rights issues. In his inaugural address, Chen expressed his commitment to strengthening the human rights regime on the island. He pledged to work for the adoption of the International Bill of Human Rights as domestic law in Taiwan and to support the establishment of an independent National Human Rights Commission; he also extended an invitation to human rights organizations such as Amnesty International to help in the work to protect human rights. This concern for human rights led his office to set up a President’s Advisory Group on Human Rights in October of 2000. The group, which is headed by Vice-President Annette Lu, consists of twenty-one persons who have backgrounds in human rights work, including the writer Bo Yang, a former political prisoner, and Professor Mab Huang (see Text 38). The advisory group is divided into six subgroups; their tasks include advising the president on human rights, reviewing existing legislation, and investigating human rights abuses. In addition, the group will work toward establishing a National Human Rights Commission and will generally promote human rights education and human rights awareness at all levels of society.
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