30-Second Overview: Pastor Kao Chun-ming (1929-2019) was imprisoned for 4 years for hiding Kaohsiung Incident fugitive Shih Ming-teh,
despite the two men being virtual strangers who had met only twice in public.
This is a story about moral choice: when religious duty conflicts with personal risk, he chose the former.
On the evening of April 24, 1980, Presbyterian Church in Taiwan General Secretary Kao Chun-ming was taking a bath at home when his daughter knocked on the door: "Dad, there are many people outside asking for Kao Chun-ming." He walked out of the bathroom to find seven or eight men sitting in his living room, with cars filling the street outside. He shook hands with each of them, then was taken to Xindian Military Detention Center.
The 4 years, 3 months, and 21 days of imprisonment that began that night stemmed from a stranger's plea for help.
Two Strangers' Dangerous Encounter
"I didn't really know Shih Ming-teh, only meeting him perhaps twice in public settings."
Kao later wrote in his memoir. Once was when dining with friends at a restaurant, where a friend pointed to a man in the distance saying "that's Shih Ming-teh." Another time was during a visit by Korean pastors. That was all. What he knew about this man described in newspapers as "previously sentenced to death, imprisoned on Green Island, then pardoned" was limited to this.
On December 10, 1979, the Kaohsiung Incident erupted. Three days later, the KMT launched mass arrests. Shih Ming-teh escaped capture, and the government issued bounties: first NT$500,000, then NT$1 million, NT$2 million, finally raised to NT$2.5 million. "The atmosphere was tense, with everyone on edge."
Around December 15, Bible Society publishing officer Rev. Chao Chen-er came to the Presbyterian Church headquarters and quietly told Kao: "Shih Ming-teh is at the end of his rope... we hope you can find a way to help."
📝 Curator's Note
The weight of this request: Kao was responsible for over 800 Presbyterian churches
and 160,000 believers across Taiwan. If something happened to him,
the entire church system would be impacted.
Kao didn't immediately agree. He paced his office for more than ten minutes, thinking and praying. His assistant Shih Jui-yun reminded him: "If Shih Ming-teh is caught this time, it will be the death penalty."
At that moment, Kao made the decision that would change both their fates: "Alright, I'll find a way."
26 Days of Underground Network
Kao established a sophisticated hiding network through Women's Seminary President Lin Wen-chen. Shih Ming-teh first hid in an apartment building on Dunhua South Road — right above KMT party-state officials — wearing an old man's hat, reading glasses, and removing his dentures to disguise himself as a country elder.
The elderly and children in the household all treated him like a relative from the countryside. Shih stayed at Wen-chen's home for two weeks, then moved to Xu Qingfu's place in Ximending, where dentist Zhang Wen-ying was contacted to prepare dental work for plastic surgery.
This escape network operated for 26 days. On January 8, 1980, Shih Ming-teh was arrested in Ximending.
💡 Did You Know
The NT$2.5 million bounty at the time equals approximately NT$15-20 million today
in purchasing power. This was the highest bounty in Taiwan's martial law period.
All those involved in the hiding were arrested one by one: Xu Qingfu, Wu Wen, Zhang Wen-ying, Shih Jui-yun, Lin Wen-chen... Only Kao remained free. He endured inner torment, crying and praying day and night, wanting to surrender and take all responsibility.
But Presbyterian pastors stopped him. They said: "If you surrender, the authorities will try and execute quickly, leaving no chance for the church and international human rights organizations to intervene. We must delay as much as possible to attract international attention."
The four months waiting for arrest were more torturous than arrest itself.
Military Court Statement
On May 16, 1980, in military court, Kao delivered his final statement:
"I am willing to bear all punishment for Lin Wen-chen and Shih Jui-yun, because these two women were completely implicated by me. I also want to express respect for other defendants who helped Shih Ming-teh out of love."
He continued: "1900 years ago, there was a man named Judas Iscariot who, for his own benefit, betrayed his teacher... Today this Judas has become the most despised person by Christians worldwide. In our society today, there are many like Judas... but few like these nine defendants willing to sacrifice themselves for those in distress."
✦ "I am willing to bear all punishment these 9 defendants should receive, for which I am willing to give my life and property."
The court did not accept his request. On June 5, 1980, Kao was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment, 5 years deprivation of civil rights, and total confiscation of property.
International Prisoner of Conscience and the Empty Chair
Kao's case attracted international attention. Amnesty International recognized him as a "prisoner of conscience" — someone imprisoned for upholding religious faith and humanitarian principles. Churches worldwide called for his release, demanding Taiwan's government free this "pastor imprisoned for practicing Christian love."
On December 10, 1982, the third anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy held a press conference with Amnesty International and the Formosan Association for Public Affairs at Capitol Hill, demanding the KMT government release Lin Yi-hsiung, Pastor Kao Chun-ming, and other political and religious prisoners.
📊 Data Context
During Taiwan's 38-year martial law period, military courts handled 29,407 political cases,
with officials conservatively estimating about 140,000 innocent victims.
Kao was among the very few religious leaders to receive international prisoner of conscience recognition.
During his four years in prison, the Presbyterian Church General Assembly voted to retain Kao's position as General Secretary, and at every meeting placed an empty chair on the podium — positioned at the visual focal point as a reminder that "prisoners remain unreturned."
The cell was damp and filthy, full of centipedes and rats. His frozen shoulder flared up, hemorrhoids worsened, and three loose teeth had to be extracted. But harder to overcome than physical pain was the spiritual loneliness and isolation. He daily recited biblical passages and hymns in whispers.
Zhang Jun-hong in the adjacent cell later said he was often moved by the faint sounds of Kao's prayers and hymn singing during that period.
1977 Human Rights Declaration: The Real Cause
Kao believed the KMT wanted to arrest him for three reasons, with hiding Shih Ming-teh only the trigger. The real cause was the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan's "Human Rights Declaration" issued on August 16, 1977 — a document he helped draft that demanded "making Taiwan a new and independent country."
This was one of the boldest political statements during Taiwan's martial law period. The Declaration called on U.S. President Carter to insist on "protecting Taiwan people's safety, independence and freedom" when normalizing relations with Communist China, and asserted "Taiwan's future should be decided by Taiwan's 17 million residents."
⚠️ Historical Context
1977 was on the eve of severance of U.S.-Taiwan diplomatic ties, with Taiwan's diplomatic situation extremely precarious.
The Presbyterian Church's independence declaration at this time directly challenged the KMT government's One China policy,
shocking to a degree equivalent to today's independence referendum proposals.
The KMT government launched systematic infiltration to divide the Presbyterian Church. Kao's advocacy for rejoining the World Council of Churches and opposing isolation from international society further angered authorities. "If I hadn't been imprisoned for the hiding case, I would have been imprisoned for other cases," he later said. "I feel honored to be imprisoned for Taiwan."
Prison Poems and Release Statement
During his four years at Xindian Military Detention Center, Kao wrote the poem "Thorns Burned by Fire" (莿帕互火燒), which won Best Lyricist at the 17th Golden Melody Awards in 2006 for Traditional and Artistic Music.
On August 15, 1984, Kao was released early. In his release statement, he said:
"I deeply believe there is God's good will in this fiery trial. Over these four-plus years, I have learned the lesson of forgiveness. I want to pray for those who arrested me, tried me, and imprisoned me. I will also continue working for Taiwan's democracy, freedom, and human rights."
After release, rather than retreating due to prison suffering, he became more actively involved in democratic movements and social reform. He continued his influence in the Presbyterian Church, promoting deeper church involvement in social issues and speaking for political prisoners and the oppressed.
📝 Curator's Note
Kao's story reveals an important aspect of Taiwan's democratization:
how religious faith became a moral resource for resisting authoritarian rule.
This wasn't political calculation, but faith practice — even for strangers.
Transitional Justice and Indigenous Theology
In the post-authoritarian era, Kao actively promoted transitional justice. He believed that for true social reconciliation, past wrongs must be faced, truth revealed, and victims given proper apology and compensation.
He was also a key promoter of Taiwan's indigenous theology development. He argued that Christian faith must integrate with local culture and social reality, not merely transplant Western theology. Under his promotion, Taiwan developed indigenous theological discourse — the church should be "society's conscience," caring not only for believers' souls but also for society's welfare.
In 2019, Pastor Kao Chun-ming passed away peacefully at age 90. His funeral attracted thousands, including government officials, democratic movement veterans, and religious leaders. Regardless of political stance, people expressed respect for this religious leader who dedicated his life to Taiwan's democracy and human rights.
Kao's life testimony tells us: when facing injustice, everyone has a responsibility to speak out. Even for strangers, even when bearing great cost. This spirit transcends political differences, becoming Taiwan society's precious moral asset.
That decision in 1980 — to risk everything for an almost unknown fugitive — and the faith behind it continues to shine on this island today.
References
- Pastor Kao Chun-ming's Sentencing for Hiding Shih Ming-teh - Taiwan Church History Archives
- Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Human Rights Declaration (1977) - PCT Official Website
- Kaohsiung Incident Review and Reflection - Taiwan Political Victims Care Association
- FAPA History 1982-2012 - Formosan Association for Public Affairs
- Taiwan White Terror Period - Wikipedia
- Presbyterian Church in Taiwan - Wikipedia