Regarding the case at National Cheng Kung University

Subject:
Regarding the case at National Cheng Kung University
From:
Richard
Date:
Thu, 18 May 2006 15:43:26 -0700
To:
MOE

Ministry of Education
Taipei, Taiwan

18 May 2006

Dear Ministry of Education,

Despite your constant warnings to Mr. Kao Chiang and his associates at National Cheng Kung University, the university continues to play political football with my reputation.
Most recently the university claimed to have held yet another meeting about increments denied me (I should say "simulated" meetings, since all those meetings are charades in defiance of the Ministry ruling of 8 January 2001, which favored me).
From what I understand, the most recent meeting upheld the decision to deny me annual increments, once again in defiance of the Ministry of Education ruling of 8 January 2001, in contempt of legal rights principles, and in scorn of moral principles.
Even worse, the administration has engaged in more dilatory tactics since I requested to see the minutes of that meeting (as if they should not have been routinely circulated to me), so I can take proper legal action against Mr. Kao and those involved in that meeting. (Legally, I am holding Mr. Kao responsible for all meetings improperly convened in this case.)
(As of this email, I have not received the minutes: Presumably everything at National Cheng Kung University must go through a byzantine bureaucratic process before it's publicly available.)
I am puzzled why the Ministry of Education tolerates this kind of contempt of law on the part of Mr. Kao and his cohorts at our university. The Ministry's tolerance of Mr. Kao and his associates only encourages further abuses at our university, as well as their ultimate exposure.
Recently the Secretary-General of National Cheng Kung University, Yang Ming Tsuong was quoted as saying to a university newspaper in Taipei that (according to an English translation I received):
"All university administrative procedures are following (Ministry of Education ) directions. De Canio's numerous petitions let the Ministry of Education continuously ask investigation, which provoked the University. [Yang Ming Tsuong] thought that if the Ministry of Education did think this improper, they could investigate themselves. The university will cooperate completely."
This interpretation of events is laughable; and any official who entertains the illusion that after defying a legal Ministry ruling for more than two years, and continuing to defy the full benefits of that ruling up to the present, an administration is following Ministry of Education directions, should be summarily dismissed from office. But then, by a reasonable interpretation of law, Mr. Kao should have been summarily dismissed within one legal day following his noncompliance in January 2001.
I have said this before and, because of the obduracy of Mr. Kao and his associates at Natonal Cheng Kung University, it bears repeating: I will never compromise my human rights at National Cheng Kung University nor will I compromise the full legal benefits of the Ministry ruling of 8 January 2001, which includes full compensation, a formal resolution, and an official apology. I will use all legal options to resolve this case, now in its eighth year, in congruence with my legal rights in Taiwan.

Sincerely,

Richard de Canio
Department of Foreign Languages and Literature
National Cheng Kung University
Tainan, Taiwan