Overseas Americans in Taiwan
A not-for-profit, non-partisan organization devoted
to to ensuring the rights and well being of Americans in Taiwan.
The intent of this organization is to form an orthodox voting block consisting of registered overseas American voters
in Taiwan.
_____________________________________________________________
Dear friends,
Please read the following letter (pasted below) to the editor of the Taipei Times being circulated by supporters of the
Sheih family. As Calvin Liu mentions in his Hyphen Magazine blog, there are currently very few English-language news reports
that cover Dr. Shieh's arrest and detention in a well-rounded manner. This letter urges the Taipei Times to publish an accurate
and comprehensive report on Dr. Shieh's situation.
The Shieh family welcomes others to contact the Taipei Times using this letter as a template. If, after reading the letter,
you agree with its intention, please copy and paste it into an email message addressed to the editor of the Taipei Times at
letters@taipeitimes.com. In the subject line of the email message, please write "letter to the editor." Please
include your name, address and phone number at the bottom of the letter.
Thank you so much for your attention to this effort and for your continued support of Dr. Shieh. Please feel free to
forward this message to others.
Thank you,
Dear Editor: I write to you as a person who is concerned about the paucity of well-informed media reports on the recent arrest
and ongoing detention of Taiwan's former Deputy Minister of the National science Council (NSC), Dr. Ching Jyh Shieh. Dr. Shieh
was arrested on May 24 under suspicion of corruption regarding a project at the Southern Taiwan Science Park to reduce vibrations
from the high-speed railway that is being built adjacent to the Science park. He is being held without bail even though the
prosecutors have yet to file formal charges of any kind and, in fact, admit that they have not found any evidence of bribery
or embezzlement. Thus far, only a small handful of Taiwan-based news reports have covered Dr. Shieh's situation, and all have
revealed little more than the bare fact of his arrest. What is even more disturbing is the tendency of these reports to frame
Dr. Shieh's detainment within a broader implication of widespread Democratic Progressive Party corruption under President
Chen Shui-Bian. Given the sketchy content and contextual suggestiveness of such reports, readers are likely to walk away with
the notion that the prosecution actually has a strong case against Dr. Shieh, even though that notion could not be further
from the truth. The basis of their case is the apparent discrepancy in price between the chosen project by Hung Hua Engingeering
Co at 8.05 billion NT and runner-up project by Yung Chun Co. at 1.8 billion NT. A more careful look into the case, however,
will show that the Hung Hua project was a more innovative, intricate design that would be more likely to solve the problem.
Furthermore, pricing assessments were made by an independent engineering consulting company, Zhonghua Engineering company,
a highly reputable engineering company in Taiwan. The prosecutor has yet to uncover any other facts that may support the notion
of corruption in this case. These details of the case, along with many others, have not been adequately reported in the media.
I am aware that, on Friday, April 28, The Taipei Times published a well-rounded report of NSC officials' countering of Yung
Chun's accusations of irregularities during bidding to reduce train vibrations (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/04/28/2003304941
). The comprehensiveness and objectiveness of that Taipei Times report stand in stark contrast to other newspapers' recent
irresponsible coverage of Dr. Shieh's arrest and detention. In light of The Taipei Times' commendable record of providing
accurate information about allegations of NSC wrongdoing, I am hopeful that The Taipei Times will soon publish a balanced,
well-researched report of Dr. Shieh's arrest and detention. Sincerely,
Hyphen Magazine Blog
_____________________________________________________________
| Cut and Paste Template. |
|
| Click the picture. |
NEW
Americans in Taiwan!
Please write your congressperson to protest the targeted deportation of Americans in Taiwan.
_____________________________________________________________
| Click the Banner to Listen to Expat Radio Taiwan |
|
_____________________________________________________________
Direct Relief International
_____________________________________________________________
Documentation: View PACE IU Strikers Deportation Orders
Five American Hunger Strikers Deported from Taiwan
Article: An American Tragedy Made in Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan June 16, 2004 Police surveillance and threats of arrest
and deportation continue to shadow the hunger strikers protesting at China Synthetic Rubber Company and Taiwan Cement over
the environmental pollution and three-year lockout at the companies subsidiary,
Continental Carbon Company.
Three of the hunger strikers--Todd
Carlson, Dave Westerman and Ralph Mangrum--are members of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers (PACE)
International Union who have been locked out of their jobs for three years at Continental Carbon Companys facility in Ponca
City, Okla. The other two hunger strikers are PACE Intl. Union officials. All five are entering their seventh day of the hunger
strike.
The Taiwan Foreign
Ministry has threatened the hunger strikers with arrest and deportation for displaying any indication of their hunger strike
in public. Police also have closely followed them.
Joe Drexler, PACE director
of special projects; Greg Schulz, an AFL-CIO representative; and Melinda Newhouse of the United Steelworkers of America were
met by over 30 police when they arrived at the American Institute in Taiwan
for a meeting. The institute serves as the U.S. shadow embassy since
the U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
A similar incident happened
the same day at another meeting attended by all the hunger strikers at the agency that regulates Taiwan's corporations.
"There
is obviously a problem with free speech in Taiwan," said Drexler.
_____________________________________________________________
Documentation: View Scott Ezell's Deportation Orders and Injunction
On July 29, 2004 the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan issued a second deportation order identical
the first for Scott Ezell effectively circumventing the court ordered injunction of the original deportation.
There is no judaical oversight of deportations on Taiwan and foreign nationals are denied many of the most basic human and
civil rights given to Chinese nationals.
On May 23, 2004 to mark the one year anniversary of his disappearance a benefit concert was organized for missing American
Fred Frontier's family in Tian Hsiang, Hua Lien. Scott Ezell was the lead performer and organizer for this event
.
Two weeks later Scott Ezell received a legal notice in the mail informing him that he was being deported for
participating in an illegal performance. Please help rectify this great injustice, sign the petition and contact your elected
representative about this human rights abuse being perpetrated against an American citizen by the government of the Republic
of China on Taiwan.
Help Scott by signing this petition.
_____________________________________________________________
Documentation: Missing American in Taiwan Fred Frontier
| Click on the Banner Below to Find Out More! |
|
| A Collective Investigation |
| Mrs. Barbara Klita |
|
| PHOTO LI, YU-CHING Taiwan Times |
Any persons with any information or offers of assistance are requested to contact Mrs. Barbara Klita
at their earliest possible convenience. barbaraklita@collegeclub.com
In Taiwan Call,
09 3957 7852Mailing address in Taipei:
Number 2, 12th Floor,
Shin Shen S. Rd., Section 2,
Shin Yi District
Taipei, Taiwan
|
