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Neil Peng

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Neil Peng
馮光遠
Born (1953-09-23) 23 September 1953 (age 71)
Sanchong, Taipei County, Taiwan
NationalityTaiwanese
EducationFu Jen Catholic University, B.A.
Fairfield University, M.A.
Political partyNew Power Party (2015–17)
AwardsGolden Horse Award for Best Original Screenplay (1993)

Neil Peng (Chinese: 馮光遠; pinyin: Féng Guāngyuǎn; born 23 September 1953) is a Taiwanese screenwriter and political activist.

Early life and career

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Peng was born in Sanchong, Taipei, and received his bachelor's degree in library science from Fu Jen Catholic University before obtaining his master's degree in mass communications from Fairfield University. He then served the China Times as deputy editor-in-chief.[1]

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

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Peng approached director Ang Lee with the idea behind The Wedding Banquet in 1986 by revealing to Lee that one of their mutual friends had moved to the United States and was in a same-sex relationship without the knowledge of the man's parents.[2] Lee and Peng began writing the screenplay two years later and were soon joined by James Schamus.[3] Released in 1993, the film was entered into that year's Berlin Film Festival.[4] Lee and Peng shared the 1993 Golden Horse Award for Best Original Screenplay for their collaboration on the film. In 1994, The Wedding Banquet was nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards.[5]

Political activism

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In 2012, Peng announced his support of the anti-nuclear movement,[6] later becoming a member of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union.[7] He is also known for his support of pension reform and same-sex marriage in Taiwan.[8][9][10]

Peng has spoken out against the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement, by launching a petition against the pact's ratification in August 2013.[11] Later that month, Peng and others founded the Constitution 133 Alliance to advocate for the recall of under-performing legislators.[12][13] The group was named after Article 133 of the Constitution of the Republic of China, which allows constituents to recall their representatives to the Legislative Yuan.[14] The Constitution 133 Alliance launched its first recall campaign against Kuomintang legislator Wu Yu-sheng in August, which was not successful.[15] Though Peng claimed that the Central Election Commission had "stalled" Wu's recall,[16] Peng continued to participate in future recall attempts, rebranded the Appendectomy Project and inspired by the Constitution 133 Alliance, against Wu, Alex Tsai, and Lin Hung-chih in particular.[17][18][19] After the 2014 Sunflower Student Movement, proposals to strengthen submission requirements for legislative recall petitions were discussed, a move Peng opposed.[20]

Political career

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In February 2014, Peng announced his independent Taipei mayoral campaign.[21][22] Later that month, when Kuomintang candidate Sean Lien stated that he would take legal action against anyone who published falsehoods about him, Peng and Wellington Koo pledged to defend all who had been sued by Lien.[23] Peng was scheduled to debate fellow independent Ko Wen-je in March shortly after a debate only open to Democratic Progressive Party candidates had been televised.[24] Ko did not participate, and all DPP candidates, one of whom was Koo, debated Peng instead.[25] Despite his absence from the March debates, Ko won the mayoral election.

Following Peng's loss in the mayoral election, he declared an independent legislative campaign for New Taipei 1 in February 2015.[26][27] By April, he had joined the New Power Party.[28] In September 2015, Peng was named to the NPP's executive committee for the first time.[29] After contentious discussions with the DPP about supporting its legislative candidate Lu Sun-ling,[30][31] Peng chose to drop out of the election in November 2015.[32] In March 2016, Peng was reelected to the NPP's executive board.[33] After the reelection of Huang Kuo-chang as head executive, Peng remarked that party leaders should not be legislators, so the party could better remain unaffected by government influence.[34] This disagreement lead to Peng leaving the party in January 2017.[35]

Controversy

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Peng has repeatedly made controversial statements. He was one of three people charged by Emile Sheng in 2012 for libel. Peng was jailed for 20 days over the comments.[36] The case was appealed up to the Supreme Court in November 2016, which found the three defendants not guilty.[37]

For saying that King Pu-tsung and Ma Ying-jeou have a "special/sexual relationship,"[38] King filed a lawsuit against Peng in February 2014, accusing Peng of libel.[39] The Taiwan High Court ruled against King in March 2015,[40] but King filed an appeal of the ruling in September.[41] Following the appeal, the Civil Court determined that Peng should pay King NT$1 million in damages.[42] Peng appealed the Civil Court decision and was again found not guilty for libel and defamation in May 2016, the second charge stemming from Peng's published article about King, some time after the March 2015 High Court ruling.[43]

In May 2014, Peng was named a defendant in a court case involving legislator Lu Hsueh-chang.[44]

Personal

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Peng lives in Daan District, Taipei.[45]

References

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  1. ^ "2014 local elections:Taipei". Central News Agency. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  2. ^ Pacheo, Patrick (4 August 1993). "Cultural Provocateur : In 'The Wedding Banquet,' Ang Lee Stirs Up Custom". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  3. ^ Feng, Peter X. (2002). Identities in Motion: Asian American Film and Video. Duke University Press. p. 182. ISBN 9780822383987.
  4. ^ Hornaday, Ann (20 February 1994). "FILM; A Film Scholar Conjures Up A Hit Machine". New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  5. ^ "'Banquet,' 'Ruby' top IFP noms". Variety. 13 January 1994. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  6. ^ Lee, I-chia (6 March 2012). "Group raises nuclear awareness". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  7. ^ Lee, I-chia (6 March 2014). "Activists urge public to sign nuclear vote petition". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  8. ^ Yang, Chiu-ying; Chung, Jake (9 September 2012). "Same-sex union activists aim for 1 million signatures". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  9. ^ Chang, Eddy (28 August 2014). "Taipei Watcher: Election time". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  10. ^ Lin, Sean (2 September 2016). "Civic groups warn of impending financial crisis". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  11. ^ Chen, Yi-ching; Pan, Jason (3 August 2013). "Anti-pact petition attracts attention". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  12. ^ Wang, Chris (15 August 2013). "Alliance looks to recall 'bad' legislators". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  13. ^ Tzou, Jiing-wen (25 August 2013). "INTERVIEW: Neil Peng urges public to recall 'bad' lawmakers". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  14. ^ Wang, Chris (5 November 2013). "Join recall petition instead of throwing shoes, Constitution 133 Alliance says". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  15. ^ Wang, Chris (26 August 2013). "Alliance names lawmaker as first candidate for recall". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  16. ^ Wang, Chris (3 January 2014). "Campaigners complain about 'stalling strategy'". Taipei Times.
  17. ^ Lii Wen (22 December 2014). "Deadline nears for recall petitions". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  18. ^ Chen, Yen-ting; Chung, Jake (4 May 2014). "Students, netizens initiate recall of KMT lawmakers". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  19. ^ Chen, Yen-ting; Chung, Jake (8 February 2015). "Alex Tsai recall push enters final stage". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  20. ^ Loa, Iok-sin; Wang, Chris (13 May 2014). "Sunflower lessons go wanting: groups". Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  21. ^ Wang, Chris (17 February 2014). "Neil Peng set to announce campaign for Taipei mayor". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  22. ^ Wang, Chris (18 February 2014). "Neil Peng announces Taipei mayoral bid". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  23. ^ Wang, Chris (26 February 2014). "Peng, Koo build 'submarine' legal team". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  24. ^ Wang, Chris (3 March 2014). "Non-KMT Taipei mayoral hopeful debates set for TV". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  25. ^ Wang, Chris (17 March 2014). "DPP Taipei mayoral hopefuls round on KMT, Ko". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  26. ^ Hsiao, Alison (16 February 2015). "Author Neil Peng to stand in legislative election". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  27. ^ Lii Wen (5 May 2015). "Top Sunflower joins NPP, eyes legislative run". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  28. ^ Lii Wen (22 April 2015). "Recall leaders question reform hearing shut-out". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  29. ^ Chen, Wei-han (14 September 2015). "New Power Party announces leadership structure". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  30. ^ Loa, Iok-sin (19 July 2015). "NPP elaborates platform, slams PFP as KMT stooge". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  31. ^ Gerber, Abraham (15 October 2015). "Pan-green integration attempts appear to stumble". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  32. ^ Gerber, Abraham (20 November 2015). "Neil Peng withdraws from election race". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  33. ^ Gerber, Abraham (15 March 2016). "NPP elects party chairmen, executive to be announced". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  34. ^ Gerber, Abraham (26 March 2016). "Huang holds on to NPP chairmanship in unanimous vote". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  35. ^ Gerber, Abraham (10 January 2017). "NPP lawmakers shocked by Neil Peng's resignation". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  36. ^ Loa, Iok-sin (4 October 2014). "Neil Peng starts 20-day jail term". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  37. ^ Pan, Jason (12 November 2016). "Supreme Court upholds 'Dreamers' case verdict". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  38. ^ Lin, Sean (17 September 2015). "KMT Ko slur sparks council scuffle". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  39. ^ Chang, Rich (12 March 2014). "King's libel suit against Peng opens". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  40. ^ Yang, Kuo-wen; Chen, Wei-han (4 March 2015). "King Pu-tsung loses Peng libel suit". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  41. ^ Chin, Jonathan (22 September 2015). "King Pu-tsung, Neil Peng enter debate in court". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  42. ^ Pan, Jason (7 October 2015). "Neil Peng to pay damages in King case". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  43. ^ Chang, Wen-chuan; Shih, Hsiao-kuang (10 May 2016). "King loses another defamation lawsuit against Peng". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  44. ^ Hsiao, Alison (8 May 2014). "KMT lawmaker criticized for filing lawsuit". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  45. ^ Lin, Hsin-han; Chung, Jake (3 November 2015). "INTERVIEW: Huang-Peng partnership outlines vision for NPP". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
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