Shih Ming-teh

Shih Ming-teh MLY
施明德
Shih in 2014
5th Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party
In office 15 May 1994 – 23 March 1996 Acting：29 November 1993 – May 15, 1994
Secretary General	See list Chiang Peng-chien Su Tseng-chang Chiou I-jen
Preceded by	Hsu Hsin-liang
Succeeded by	Chang Chun-hung (acting)
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office 1 February 1993 – 31 January 1999
Constituency	Tainan
In office 1 February 1999 – 31 January 2002
Constituency	Taipei North
Personal details
Born	(1941-01-15)15 January 1941 Takao City, Takao Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan
Died	15 January 2024(2024-01-15) (aged 83) Taipei, Taiwan
Nationality	Empire of Japan (1941–1945) Taiwan (1945–2024)
Political party	Democratic Progressive Party (1986–2000) Home Party (2007–?) Nonpartisan Politician (?–2024)
Spouse(s)	Linda Arrigo (1978–1995) Chen Chia-chun (present)
Occupation	Politician human rights activist
Website	http://www.nori.org.tw/
Chinese name
Chinese	施明德
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shī Míngdé Wade–Giles Shih1 Ming2-te2 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Si Bêng-tek

Shih Ming-teh (Chinese: 施明德; 15 January 1941 – 15 January 2024), commonly known as Nori Shih,^{[note 1]} was a Taiwanese statesman and human rights defender. He was once a political prisoner for 25-and-a-half years.

Arrested at the age of 21 in 1962 and charged with creating the "Taiwan Independence League" (a study group) with the intention of overthrowing the Kuomintang government, Shih was sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence was commuted to 15 years in 1975, and Shih was released on 16 June 1977.

Shih promptly joined the Tangwai (literally meaning "outside the party", because the Kuomintang was the only legally existing political party in Taiwan at that time), became a reporter for the Liberty Times and married the American researcher Linda Gail Arrigo. After he played a part in organizing the 10 December 1979 pro-democracy rally subsequently known as the Kaohsiung Incident (also known as the Formosa Incident or Meilitao Incident), an arrest warrant was issued charging Shih with treason, and following 26 days on the run he was again arrested and sentenced to life in prison. In 1984, while he was incarcerated, Polish politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa nominated him for the Peace Prize.

In July 1987, Chiang Ching-kuo lifted martial law and offered an amnesty to Shih, but he refused to accept. On 20 May 1990 he was finally released. In total, he spent 25 years in prison, 13 years in solitary confinement and over 4 years on hunger strike.

In 1993, he was elected leader of the legalized opposition Democratic Progressive Party. He was also elected legislator on three occasions. Shih proposed a political "grand reconciliation" in Taiwan. He resigned from the Democratic Progressive Party on 14 November 2000.

In 2006, Shih carried out a huge protest, known as Million Voices Against Corruption, President Chen Must Go, in an effort to force the embattled president Chen Shui-bian to resign. He led a round-the-clock sit-in in front of the Presidential Building and Taipei Railway Station in Taipei City, pledging to remain there until President Chen resigned, or he reached the end of his term in March 2008. On 5 December 2006, he left Taipei Railway Station pledging to continue the protest alone in "self-reclusion" at an apartment nearby. This protest ended April 2007.

Shih was one of the most prominent personalities of the Tangwai movement and greatly contributed to Taiwan's democratization. He has been referred to by some as "Taiwan's Mandela" on account of his efforts for democracy and prolonged incarceration.
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