-------- Original Message --------
| Subject: | A FORMAL PETITION to the CONTROL YUAN regarding human rights abuses at National Cheng Kung University |
|---|---|
| Date: | Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:06:29 +0800 |
| From: | rdca25@gmail.com |
| To: | cymail@ms.cy.gov.tw, mail@ms.cy.gov.tw |
| CC: | Raydon <raydon@mail.ncku.edu.tw> |
| References: | <4A5E870C.1080001@gmail.com> <001c01ca05de$34a5f350$6822748c@pjP> |
No.2, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao E. Rd.,
Taipei City 10051, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel:+886-2-2341-3183
Fax:+886-2-2341-0324
cc: Professor Ray Da-ton,
Faculty Union
National Cheng Kung University
(06) 2757575-62831
raydon@mail.ncku.edu.tw
23 April 2010
To the Members of the Control Yuan,
This is to petition the Control Yuan to formally resolve human rights violations committed by National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, with evidence attached. The university, after repeated petitions, has denied remedy and compensation, forcing my appeal to the Control Yuan.
Please understand the importance of resolving this case within formal channels in Taiwan. I do not believe American universities can or should maintain academic exchanges with a university that violates human rights, evident in the attached documents. The documents make clear that university officials did not merely act recklessly, but willfully and maliciously, in defiance of principles of law and human rights.
The university completed an illegal dismissal. It circulated a secret letter at meetings. It participated in appeal hearings at both the university and Ministry levels, then, when it lost, claimed foreigners had no right to appeal in the first place. Then for more than two years it defied issuance of teaching contracts despite repeated warnings from the Ministry of Education that they were in defiance of the law by doing so. This is not the way a reputable academic institution conducts itself.
We allow remedy to Taiwan citizens for similar offenses in the United States, my native country. Moreover, formal remedy, penalties and punitive damages act as deterrents to discourage repeat offenses.
A failure to proportionately punish officials involved in this case will jeopardize foreign faculty in the future, since university officials know they have nothing to lose. But it may also jeopardize academic exchanges between Taiwan and American universities. Failure to effect formal remedy in this case is not the way to insure human rights or academic standards in Taiwan.
I have sent several letters to university officials, including current president, Lai Ming-Chiao, but I've been ignored. Below is a typical response from the president's office. It's an email dated 21 December 2007 promising "to study and communicate with your directly."
| Subject: | Re: Regarding Ming Chiao-lai's delays in handling the case at National Cheng Kung University |
|---|---|
| Date: | Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:33:27 +0800 |
| From: | em50000 <em50000@email.ncku.edu.tw> |
| To: | <rdca25@gmail.com> |
| CC: | <wslee@mail.ncku.edu.tw> |
| References: | <4758A02B.2060900@gmail.com> |
Dear Professor De Canio,
Sorry to have you wait for this reply due to President Lai's heavy load of NCKU's affairs.
President Lai will assign representatives to study and communicate with you directly.
Thank you for your patience.
Sincerely Yours,
Officie of The Secretariat,
National Cheng-Kung University,
National Cheng-Kung University,
Silence or indifference is not an option in a serious case such as this. Apparently President Lai believes that opening a coffee shop on campus is more important than resolving serious human rights abuses at the university.
Respectfully yours,
Richard de Canio
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
National Cheng Kung University
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