Huang Hua (activist)

A native of Keelung born in 1939,[2][3] Huang worked with Lei Chen in 1960 to form a political party, the China Democratic Party, with several others.[4][5] As Taiwan was under martial law at the time, the pair's actions were illegal.[6][7] Huang contested the Keelung City Council election of 1963, but was arrested before completing registration, and jailed for two and a half years.[3][4] In 1967, Huang cofounded the Society to Promote the Unity of Taiwanese Youth, and was charged with sedition. Sentenced to ten years imprisonment, he was granted amnesty in 1975.[4] Huang then worked for Kuo Yu-hsin and the tangwai publication Taiwan Political Review, run by Kang Ning-hsiang.[4] Though Kang asked him to carefully consider his involvement, Huang joined the Review in December 1975, as a deputy editor.[8] Soon after the Review was suspended, Huang opened a noodle shop with Chang Chun-hung.[9] In July 1976, Huang was arrested for his writings in the Review.[10] During his third prison term, Huang was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.[11][12] His mother died in February 1984,[4] and Huang was prohibited from leaving Green Island to attend her funeral, held the next month.[13] Huang began a hunger strike in April 1985, to show solidarity with fellow political prisoner Shih Ming-teh.[12][14][15] Though it was reported that Huang began eating in August, he chose to continue his protest in September.[16] Huang was moved to Jen-ai Prison in 1986.[2]

After Huang was paroled in 1987,[17] he joined the Association of Political Prisoners.[18] Later, Huang organized a nationwide march for independence in November 1988.[19] The following year, Huang formally founded the New Nation Alliance, linked to a movement of the same name.[20][21] He was barred from contesting the 1989 legislative elections because limitations on his civil rights were still in effect.[22] For his association with the New Nation movement, Huang was convicted of sedition by the Taiwan High Court shortly after the elections were held.[23] Subsequently, backed by the Democratic Progressive Party,[24][25] Huang Hua declared his candidacy for the presidency,[23] a symbolic move and violation of electoral law,[23][26] as the president of the Republic of China was selected by the National Assembly, not directly elected by popular vote. President Lee Teng-hui fully restored Huang's civil rights in May 1990.[27] Despite Lee's action, Huang was arrested after attending the funeral of Liu Wen-hsiung in November.[28][29] Huang was sentenced to another ten years in prison,[25] and did not appeal.[28] He was not considered for amnesty in January 1991.[26][28] His continued imprisonment was described by United States Senators Ted Kennedy, Claiborne Pell, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry, and Paul Wellstone as a "serious setback" to Taiwan's democratization in a letter to Lee Teng-hui.[30] Lin Tsung-kuang nominated Huang for the Nobel Peace Prize later that month, and a march protesting Huang's imprisonment was held in February.[30] By May, Huang had become Taiwan's final political prisoner.[26] After Huang's imprisonment came to international attention, the Legislative Yuan began discussing revisions to Article 100 of the Criminal Code.[31] He remained in prison through the National Assembly elections held in December 1991.[32] After Article 100 of the Criminal Code was amended in May 1992, Huang was released.[33][34]

Huang at Taipei Main Station on 15 June 2019, during his hunger strike.

Huang began fasting on 19 May 2019 in support of a petition advocating Taiwan independence. He called for small political parties and other political organizations to form a coalition and replace the Kuomintang as Taiwan's second major party.[35][36] During his hunger strike, Huang's conversion to Christianity was overseen by a Presbyterian Church in Taiwan official.[37] Supporters of Huang's hunger strike included several former members of the Democratic Progressive Party, who called for a new political party advocating Taiwan independence to be established.[38] Huang ended his hunger strike after 52 days, and agreed to go to the hospital on 9 July 2019.[39]