He tells tonight's "World Beat With Suthichai Yoon" on The Nation TV channel that he will continue fighting till his last breath.

Shih talks of the psychological and physical torture he endured during 25 years behind bars.

His faith in God and his belief in a peaceful path to democracy helped him maintain his sanity through the most trying time of his life.

Shih, 65, wants only to be remembered for his sacrifices for Taiwan and its people.

"None of the teeth in my mouth are real. They were all punched out while I was in prison," says Shih, who was sentenced to two stretches for "crimes against the state".

Shih discusses his four-year hunger strike - perhaps the longest ever known - during which he was force-fed by his jailers.

Viewers will learn of his refusal to accept a pardon until the then Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui publicly absolved him.

Also appearing on this evening's programme is Thai political activist Pipop Thongchai, a man who has consistently stood up to military dictators and called on those in power to respect human dignity and democratic values.

A military coup in Taiwan would be unthinkable, explains Shih.

He says it would set a damaging precedent because there would be no equilibrium to put politics back on course.

Shih says Taiwan lacks Thailand's monarchy that functions as a national centre. A military dictatorship in Taiwan would mark the point of no return for politics.

Earlier this year, Shih turned Taipei into a sea of red as he called a million Taiwanese onto the streets to demand the resignation of President Chen Shui-bian for alleged corruption by him and his aides and relatives.

Shih recounts the difficulty in challenging Chen, a lawyer who defended democracy activists in 1979 after clashes with police. But for Shih, a corrupt leader is a corrupt leader be they a member of the Kuomintang or Chen's own Democratic Progres-sive Party.

Shih says his "red revolution" is not about Chen but the core values of Taiwanese society.