New School for Democracy will undertake “Human Rights in Solidarity: Lee Ming-che European Democracy Advocacy Tour” from 7 to 16 October 2026. Building on last year’s Nordic tour, the delegation will visit Germany and Belgium to bring the experiences of Taiwanese, Hong Kong, and Uyghur communities facing authoritarian repression into European public discussion through talks and exchanges. The tour aims to deepen understanding of Taiwan’s democratic practice and human rights conditions in the region, while connecting overseas Taiwanese communities, friends of Taiwan, and human rights advocates to explore shared responses to transnational repression, information manipulation, and political interference, and to develop lasting cooperation and support networks.
Last year, New School for Democracy worked with the Taiwan Association in Sweden and Doublethink Lab on a Nordic speaking tour that brought Lee Ming-che’s firsthand experience and the practical knowledge of human rights advocates into local discussions. This year’s European visit will build on that exchange by connecting with diaspora communities and civil society partners in Germany and Belgium. Drawing on experiences of authoritarian pressure across different regions, the delegation will explore concrete approaches to human rights protection, democratic resilience, and international cooperation. Through two-way dialogue, it also hopes to understand European partners’ perspectives and needs, laying the groundwork for future joint advocacy.
The seven-member delegation comprises human rights activist Lee Ming-che; Tashken Davlet, Project Coordinator at Doublethink Lab; I-Min Hsiao, Deputy CEO of the Association for Victims Support and founder of Victim Support Taiwan; Alicia Wu, Consultant of the Taiwan Association in Sweden; Ivan Choi, Project Manager at New School for Democracy and a Hong Kong exile living in Taiwan; Minnie Lee, part-time staff in Europe at New School for Democracy; and Yongli Ku, a freelance journalist based in Sweden. Bringing together experience in human rights advocacy, victim support, diaspora engagement, journalism, and political communication research, the delegation seeks to help European audiences understand how authoritarian pressure affects individuals, communities, and democratic institutions through personal accounts and civil society practice.
Lee Ming-che was imprisoned in China from 2017 to 2022 on charges of “subversion of state power.” He will share his firsthand experience of arrest, trial, and imprisonment, the impact of political persecution on individuals and their families, and his observations since returning to human rights work after his release. His experience will also serve as a starting point for discussion: when an authoritarian regime targets a person’s speech, civic participation, and human rights work, how can civil society offer support, and how can international solidarity sustain attention and action?
Tashken Davlet, an Uyghur Taiwanese and a second-generation member of an exile community, has long worked on Uyghur and broader human rights issues in China, collaborating with Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Tibetan, and other communities. Drawing on his advocacy experience and research on Chinese influence, he will discuss the effects of information manipulation, digital surveillance, and transnational repression on diaspora communities. I-Min Hsiao will draw on years of work in judicial reform and victim support to address the safety, assistance, and space for independent expression needed by victims of political persecution and transnational repression. His approach emphasizes enabling victims to participate in public discussion and international advocacy with an understanding of the risks and the freedom to make their own choices.
Alicia Wu has long worked to connect Taiwanese communities in Sweden and promote people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and Europe. Through cooperation among diaspora associations and public advocacy, she promotes European understanding of Taiwan’s democracy and cultural diversity, while continuing to connect international partners concerned with Taiwan.
As Project Manager at New School for Democracy, Ivan Choi contributes to planning and delivering human rights advocacy events, external communications, and the coordination of international exchanges, including preparations and event arrangements for this European tour. He will draw on this practical advocacy work alongside his experience of participating in Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement and going into exile in Taiwan. He will share how civil society work, artistic creation, and personal storytelling can preserve the memory of resistance, connect different communities, and turn personal experience into sustained human rights advocacy.
Minnie Lee has a background in political communication, social movements, and research on democratic resilience. Yongli Ku reports and writes on international politics, human rights, and Nordic societies. Together, these backgrounds give the tour perspectives grounded in personal testimony, advocacy practice, and cross-cultural exchange.
The tour will feature dedicated events in Berlin on 11 October and Brussels on 14 October. The Berlin event will take place from 10:00 to 12:00 local time on 11 October in the first-floor Taiwan-Kultursaal at the Taipei Representative Office in Germany. Under the theme “China’s Evolving Transnational Repression Through the Lee Ming-che Case,” Lee Ming-che, Tashken Davlet, I-Min Hsiao, and Ivan Choi will share firsthand experiences and advocacy practice, discussing transnational repression, information operations, and political interference. They will exchange ideas with participants on how Taiwan and Europe can strengthen cooperation and support communities facing persecution.
The Berlin discussion will move from individual experiences to the institutional challenges facing democratic societies. It will explore how diaspora communities can maintain safe spaces for expression and civic participation, and how human rights advocates, civil society organizations, and democratic societies can develop more effective support and cooperation mechanisms. Comparing experiences across communities will help participants understand the effects of political persecution on everyday life, families, and community relationships, and consider how concern can become sustained solidarity and action.
The Berlin event is jointly organized by New School for Democracy, the Taiwan Association in Sweden, Kulturverein Ananasli, the Walking for Taiwan Association in Europe, and Doublethink Lab, with Junge Taiwan Initiative and Freiheit für Hongkong e.V. as co-organizers. This cooperation among civil society organizations across borders connects communities concerned with Taiwan, Hong Kong, and human rights in China.
On 14 October, from 15:30 to 17:00 local time, the delegation will participate in a Chinese-language talk and exchange at the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium in Brussels, sharing the tour’s core advocacy themes with local Taiwanese communities, students, and partners interested in democracy and human rights. Drawing on the experiences of Taiwan and communities facing repression, the event will discuss the effects of transnational repression on life abroad and civic participation, and how civil society can protect freedom through mutual support and international connections. It also aims to deepen understanding between overseas Taiwanese communities and human rights advocates, connecting people in different countries through shared concerns. For participation details, please contact the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium.
New School for Democracy hopes that the tour will bring the experiences of people facing persecution into concrete public discussion, helping European audiences understand the consequences of transnational repression for human rights and freedom, and explore support mechanisms and international cooperation. For diaspora communities, the ability to express opinions safely, participate in events, and maintain family and community relationships is a central concern of this initiative. For civil society, a key question is how to sustain assistance while respecting the wishes and protecting the safety of those affected.
Taiwan’s experience of democratic practice, civic participation, and human rights advocacy will be an important part of these exchanges. By sharing experiences and perspectives with European partners, the delegation hopes to deepen mutual understanding of how to defend democracy and sustain cooperation among diaspora communities, friends of Taiwan, and human rights advocates. “Human Rights in Solidarity” seeks to use public dialogue as a starting point for relationships and cooperation that continue beyond the tour, turning solidarity across borders into practical support for people facing persecution and for democracy and human rights.
Media Contacts:
Ivan Choi | Project Manager, New School for Democracy
Panay | Deputy Secretary-General, New School for Democracy
