In order to fight for “100 percent freedom of speech,” Cheng Nan-jung founded the magazine Freedom Era Weekly.

He was charged with insurrection for publishing the article “Draft for a Taiwan Republic Constitution.” On April 7, 1989, when hundreds of police officers attempted to break into his office to arrest him, he committed suicide by self-immolation. After hearing this sad news, many Changhua people went to Taipei on May 19 to attend his funeral procession.</span>