WEBVTT 00:28.737 --> 00:31.031 Somehow, I unintentionally stepped into the literary world. 00:31.322 --> 00:33.116 And after stepping into the literary world, 00:33.116 --> 00:35.660 with so many literary pioneers, 00:35.660 --> 00:37.245 I happened to encounter Camus. 00:37.245 --> 00:39.748 And he guided me for the rest of my life. 00:47.047 --> 00:48.131 After entering high school, 00:48.423 --> 00:50.091 because I participated in a writing competition, 00:50.091 --> 00:52.302 I was appointed to join. 00:52.427 --> 00:53.553 I reluctantly entered. 00:54.345 --> 00:56.723 To my surprise, I won first place in the school. 00:56.973 --> 00:59.184 Winning first place meant 00:59.601 --> 01:03.438 representing the school in the Kaohsiung city competition, where I also took first place. 01:03.563 --> 01:05.482 Then I represented Kaohsiung in the national competition, 01:05.982 --> 01:06.900 where I placed second. 01:07.067 --> 01:11.196 Suddenly, I became a notable figure at school. 01:12.363 --> 01:13.865 But our Chinese literature teacher 01:15.408 --> 01:16.326 didn’t let me off the hook. 01:16.993 --> 01:19.162 He took me to the library. 01:19.704 --> 01:23.458 Back then, borrowing books as a student was very strict. 01:23.458 --> 01:27.462 The teacher instructed the librarian to 01:28.129 --> 01:30.840 register all the books I borrowed under his name. 01:30.840 --> 01:32.217 They were all recorded for him. 01:32.217 --> 01:33.676 Then he gave me a reading list. 01:33.885 --> 01:35.261 It was entirely literature. 01:35.929 --> 01:38.223 And exclusively Western literature. 01:38.723 --> 01:41.101 During the reading process, 01:41.226 --> 01:43.561 I suddenly grew very fond of Camus’ works. 01:44.521 --> 01:48.149 Then I was assigned to join the China Youth Corps. 01:48.775 --> 01:51.569 After training, I was given responsibilities 01:51.569 --> 01:55.448 and assigned to one of their satellite organizations. 01:55.698 --> 01:58.284 I was assigned to the Awareness Society. 01:58.284 --> 01:59.744 And that’s how I got involved. 02:14.759 --> 02:16.845 The Awareness Society had been established for years. 02:17.345 --> 02:23.017 After joining, I found their anti-China Youth Corps rhetoric was very strong. 02:23.268 --> 02:25.395 So, I debated with them. 02:25.645 --> 02:28.982 During the debates, I realized they were right. 02:29.107 --> 02:31.317 The China Youth Corps was wrong. 02:31.484 --> 02:34.779 So my attitude completely shifted. 02:35.321 --> 02:37.198 I joined them in opposing the Corps. 02:37.490 --> 02:39.617 I resisted because they wanted to control you. 02:39.993 --> 02:41.578 You couldn’t say this or that. 02:41.744 --> 02:43.621 You couldn’t do this or that. 02:43.913 --> 02:46.124 If I lived in free China, 02:46.124 --> 02:48.126 why was I so restricted? 02:49.002 --> 02:53.047 This related to Camus’ ideas, 02:53.590 --> 02:56.134 which demanded resistance. 02:56.134 --> 02:58.553 So I resisted everywhere. 02:58.553 --> 03:01.639 We naively believed 03:02.265 --> 03:06.186 we could form 03:06.227 --> 03:08.521 an independent student group. 03:08.521 --> 03:12.483 But we quickly stepped on a landmine. 03:14.444 --> 03:16.321 A few days before the winter break, 03:16.863 --> 03:19.866 in the middle of the night, a group of people suddenly barged in. 03:20.283 --> 03:21.117 About a dozen of them. 03:21.576 --> 03:23.244 I was already asleep; they woke me up. 03:23.661 --> 03:24.746 Handcuffed me. 03:24.746 --> 03:27.123 That’s when I realized they came to arrest me. 03:27.665 --> 03:29.334 They put me in a jeep. 03:30.168 --> 03:32.295 And drove straight to Kaohsiung. 03:33.046 --> 03:36.549 They kept us overnight, and the next day we were sent to Taipei. 03:36.716 --> 03:39.010 When we arrived in Taipei, we didn’t even know 03:39.010 --> 03:40.970 where we were; it was late at night. 03:41.721 --> 03:43.973 We were taken into a basement. 03:44.224 --> 03:46.434 We stayed there for four months. 03:47.310 --> 03:50.188 Those four months were hell on earth. 03:56.110 --> 04:01.074 Torture — in the beginning, almost everyone went through 04:01.074 --> 04:02.867 exhaustion interrogations. 04:02.867 --> 04:04.619 For severe cases like mine, 04:04.619 --> 04:06.412 it lasted seven days and seven nights. 04:06.412 --> 04:09.123 No sleep, no rest allowed. 04:10.833 --> 04:12.377 Then came the physical torture. 04:12.377 --> 04:13.753 First, sitting on ice blocks. 04:14.003 --> 04:15.296 They stripped you naked, 04:15.880 --> 04:17.215 made you sit on a chair, 04:17.215 --> 04:19.175 in a small room, 04:19.550 --> 04:21.511 and placed a large ice block inside. 04:22.720 --> 04:24.305 They used an electric fan to blow air. 04:24.305 --> 04:26.224 It was winter then. 04:27.016 --> 04:29.686 They connected two copper wires 04:29.686 --> 04:32.063 to a power source 04:32.063 --> 04:34.649 and inserted them into your gums. 04:35.149 --> 04:37.026 Then they electrified you. 04:37.026 --> 04:38.695 It was unbearably painful. 04:38.987 --> 04:40.780 Shortly after the shock, 04:40.780 --> 04:42.448 you’d lose consciousness. 04:42.448 --> 04:44.450 You’d completely black out. 04:45.660 --> 04:46.703 But still, 04:46.703 --> 04:48.037 you wouldn’t confess. 04:48.705 --> 04:51.958 They tied your hands behind your back, 04:51.958 --> 04:53.293 locking them, 04:53.710 --> 04:55.128 and hung you up. 04:55.837 --> 04:59.257 You’d be suspended, 04:59.257 --> 05:00.800 your entire body weight pressing against your shoulders. 05:00.800 --> 05:01.801 You’d quickly pass out. 05:02.093 --> 05:03.136 They called it “carrying a sword.” 05:03.136 --> 05:05.471 I’ll never forget that term. 05:11.227 --> 05:13.187 One day, they suddenly told us, 05:13.771 --> 05:16.107 “We’re preparing to transfer you.” 05:16.441 --> 05:18.151 Then we were brought here, 05:18.151 --> 05:19.068 to the military tribunal. 05:19.777 --> 05:22.071 I stayed here for thirteen years. 05:38.171 --> 05:39.756 It wasn’t like this before. 05:39.756 --> 05:42.842 There were more than ten of us, maybe twelve or thirteen (cellmates). 05:43.426 --> 05:45.136 It was very cramped. 05:45.428 --> 05:47.597 Six on one side, six on the other. 05:47.597 --> 05:49.932 You’re asking about sleeping arrangements? 05:49.932 --> 05:53.436 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 05:53.770 --> 05:55.313 Basically, you couldn’t turn over. 05:58.107 --> 06:00.651 One of my cellmates, Chen Quanfu, said something impactful: 06:00.818 --> 06:01.944 “Since you’re here, 06:02.737 --> 06:04.364 you should prepare yourself. 06:05.365 --> 06:06.324 Think it through. 06:06.574 --> 06:08.659 When that door opens, 06:09.744 --> 06:11.162 what will you do when you step out?” 06:13.206 --> 06:16.125 Then start preparing for what you’ll do. 06:17.043 --> 06:19.545 Outside, the space is infinite, 06:19.962 --> 06:24.550 but your time will be fragmented. 06:24.550 --> 06:28.054 Inside, the space is minimal, 06:28.054 --> 06:31.516 but your time is completely yours. 06:31.516 --> 06:34.644 All 24 hours are under your control. 06:35.019 --> 06:37.146 How you make use of it is critical. 06:37.814 --> 06:39.816 For me, this was very important. 06:40.274 --> 06:43.236 Judging by my first ten years 06:43.236 --> 06:45.613 after being released, 06:45.613 --> 06:47.657 I accomplished a lot. 06:47.657 --> 06:49.575 The reason I achieved so much 06:49.575 --> 06:53.830 was thanks to the self-training I undertook while in prison. 07:14.851 --> 07:22.775 Transitional justice is a crucial benchmark in our pursuit of democracy and freedom.