Letter to Scholars at Risk

11/17/2001 1:53 PM
Subject: Update on the National Cheng Kung University appeal
caseTo: rquinn@uchicago.edu
CC: yuhwen.ling@eudoramail.com,

Professor Robert Quinn
Scholars at Risk
16 November, 2001

Dear Professor Quinn,
This is to update you on the events concerning my appeal against
dismissal at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan.
As of this moment, the case continues to go around in circles. The
Control Yuan, the highest "watchdog" governmental body, responded to my
official complaint by asking the Ministry of Education what it has done;
the Ministry of Education asked National Cheng Kung University what it
has done; National Cheng Kung University responded by saying that, since
I took legal action against the university, it must delay the internal
handling of the case until the legal action is over.
Of course, the main legal and moral issue, that I won the appeal (in
fact, two appeals), is completely ignored. Besides, where else in the
world is an individual obligated to go to court to enforce legal rulings
on his own behalf? It's as if a judge in Boston said, "Release the
prisoner" and the jailer refused to do so and the prisoner had to
litigate for two years to get himself released. Of course, in Boston
the recusant jailer would immediately be convicted of contempt; and the
case would be executed by government officials, not the individual.
I think it's outrageous that foreign professors are vulnerable to
malicious misconduct in this manner, while Taiwan professors receive the
protection of laws in democracies abroad. I only hope that Scholars at
Risk is willing, in some form, to make clear that foreign professors
should be protected by laws in all countries that observe democratic law
at all.
I would also like to report that, although I have petitioned several
humanitarian agencies here, including a private judicial watchdog body,
a Chinese human rights association, a Taiwan human rights association,
and the president of a national university union, I have received no
response, much less support. One newspaper editor responded that he was
too busy doing other things. Except for two or three individuals of
exceptionally high moral conscience, I have received absolutely no
support, despite the fact that the issues of human rights violations,
and now clear defiance of Ministry rulings, is both documented and
plain.
This evening I wrote a FAX to the Ministry of Education, reminding
him of the Ministry's legal obligations in this case. I include it with
this email.
In the meantime, I thank you for your letter to the Minister of
Education, which almost certainly was helpful.

Sincerely,

Richard de Canio
Tainan, Taiwan
(06) 237 8626