Michael Ming-Chiao Lai
President
National Cheng Kung University
Tainan, Taiwan
November 28, 2010
Dear President Lai,
The recent ping pong edits on Wikipedia on the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) page concerning my entry on Human Rights violations at National Cheng Kung University is, apart from other recognized reasons, a case in point of the necessity for NCKU to formally apologize for human rights violations the university committed at this university at least beginning in 1999 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cheng_Kung_University). Remarkably, despite sourcing of Taiwan court and Ministry of Education formal decisions, linked to my Wikipedia entry on the NCKU page, as recently as today my sources were challenged and the human rights violations committed by NCKU officials were called "allegations" instead of facts.
An allegation is, by definition, an accusation that has not yet been verified either empirically or juridically as a fact. Few things on our planet can be empirically verified as "facts," and some still question evolution or the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. But in a democracy we do agree on one thing: namely juridical decisions, at least pending appeal, in cases where appeal is still possible.
Now my illegal dismissal was declared illegal by both Taiwan's Ministry of Education as well as by Taiwan's courts. This, in a democracy, is as much juridical closure as it's possible to get. To challenge even judicial decisions, especially in the case of my dismissal where illegal procedures were fairly blatant and self-evident, is obstinacy.
I find it disheartening that Taiwan citizens would start an immediate protest over the apparent injustice suffered by a Taiwan citizen, Ms. Yang Shu-chun, even advocating a boycott of South Korean goods, and going so far as to throw eggs at a South Korean school in Taipei and yet greet my case, proved beyond a reasonable doubt, with indifference. Of course, I am entirely sympathetic with Ms. Yang, and, beyond her, to the dignity of Taiwan, if indeed Ms. Yang was treated unjustly or even negligently. But bear in mind, technically (that is, juridically) accusations of injustice against Ms. Yang are still allegations, until a final and formal ruling is made; and even that ruling may be challenged. The point is that merely on the appearance of injustice against a Taiwan citizen, Ms. Yang's fellow citizens took to the streets and insured their vocal protest would be heard.
But there's no mere appearance of injustice against me; it's a fact by reasonable juridical standards (i.e official rulings by Taiwan's court and Ministry of Education). Yet NCKU officials continue to refuse to issue a formal apology or compensation or even admit wrongdoing. Apparently, in a revisionist purge of my case, no injustice ever happened.
Now so long as NCKU continues its policy of refusing to admit human rights violations, apologize for them, and compensate for them, edits such as happened today on Wikipedia when my human rights entry on the National Cheng Kung University page was removed (though I have since reverted it) will continue to occur. Perhaps Americans should respond to my illegal dismissal the way that Taiwanese responded to the apparent injustice suffered by Ms. Yang at the Taekwondo Olympics in South Korea: make vocal protests against Taiwan, advocate a boycott of Taiwan goods, and insure termination of American academic exchanges with all Taiwan universities.
Apart from the human rights issues involved, I cannot accept the disrespect I have been shown as an American professor by official indifference over the human rights that were violated in my case. Apparently you have the time for photo shoots with students to advertise NCKU as an academic institution but don't have the time to respond to a serious issue of human rights violations that, if one includes the need for a formal apology and compensation as guaranteed by international human rights charters, has lasted for eleven years!
Once again I urge American universities that maintain academic exchanges with National Cheng Kung University in Tainan to review their bylaws and other relevant laws that might interdict such exchanges based on proved human rights violations. I have already sent necessary documentation, in both Chinese and English, including official Taiwan court and Ministry rulings and these are also available on my human rights blog (http://rdca45.blogspot.com/) and linked on the Wikipedia page for National Cheng Kung University, since I "reverted" the deleted entry as of today.
I encourage you once again to take human rights principles seriously at National Cheng Kung University; to abide by international human rights charters that your president recently formally endorsed; to abide by principles of reciprocity that insures fair and equal treatment of Taiwan students and faculty in the US; and to govern the university by reasonable standards of law and human rights.
Sincerely,
Richard de Canio
formerly Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
National Cheng Kung University
Tainan, Taiwan
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