(CNA, Helsinki, May 17, by reporter Wu Chi-lin) Taiwan's representative to Finland, Freddy Lim, was invited to speak at the World Village Festival in Helsinki, a festival with over 30 years of history, on the 17th. He discussed Taiwan's transition from authoritarianism to democracy and its experience in combating China's cognitive warfare, and joined an exiled Burmese artist and filmmaker, May, in calling for resistance against authoritarianism. The World Village Festival, organized by the NGO federation Fingo, has been held since 1995. It is Finland's largest and most iconic annual international civil society event, attracting civil society groups, artists, and activists from around the world to Helsinki. Lim delivered his speech in English at the Bio Rex stage, titled "From Suppression to Freedom: The Fight Against Digital Control." He played a video of his band, Chthonic, performing at last year's Megaport Festival in Kaohsiung, showing him and his bandmates shirtless, screaming on stage to a沸騰 crowd of tens of thousands. After the video, the suit-clad Lim walked forward and said, "Yes, that was me. But don't expect me to take off my clothes and do death growls here," starting his speech on a light note. He then delved into the historical context of Taiwan's transition from authoritarianism to democracy: a 38-year martial law period where publications required government censorship, songs in Taiwanese were strictly restricted, and artists deemed subversive faced the constant threat of imprisonment. He pointed out that authoritarian governments suppress art because art carries messages and empowers people. After decades of struggle, in which artists played a key role, Taiwan completed its democratic transition in the 1990s. Today, Taiwan's democracy ranks among the top in Asia, and in 2019, it became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. He shifted his focus, stating that the current threat is no longer just tanks and guns, but the more insidiou