Shih Ming-teh, a democracy activist who helped lead Taiwan from authoritarianism to democracy and a former chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, died on Monday, his family said. Aaccording to a statement from his family on his official Facebook page, he was being treated at Taipei’s Veterans General Hospital. “Our father, Shih Ming-teh, set off today on his birthday, reuniting with his family members and the comrades-in-arms that he had fought with through thick and thin,” said the family.