The overseas Taiwanese independence movement plays a crucial role in Taiwan's historical narrative. During the authoritarian period, this movement was predominantly active overseas. In 1970, the World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI) was officially founded. For the subsequent 20 years, leading up to the beginning of its transition back to Taiwan in 1990, documents, photographs, and other historical artifacts related to the movement were dispersed globally. As members returned to Taiwan, these materials were gathered and eventually archived in WUFI's Taipei office.
This notable collection encompasses historical materials meticulously preserved and collected by former chairpersons Huang Zhao-tang and Chang Tsan-cheng, along with Wang Yu-de and others. The assortment also includes contributions sourced from diverse regions such as Japan, Europe, and the United States. In 2018, Ms. He Kang-mei, who had extensively managed and deeply understood the significance of these materials, made the decision to place them under the care of NMTH, ensuring their continued preservation and accessibility.
To ensure the long-term preservation, digitization, and public availability of these historical materials, NMTH entrusted the project to a team led by Professors Chen Yi-shen and Hsueh Hua-yuan from National Chengchi University. Their meticulous work in cataloging and digitizing the materials has been documented in a detailed report, which is available to visitors at the Sasulat Library.