Taiwanese American Science and Technology Association

華府台灣產業科技推動協會

10806 Hillbrooke Lane, Potomac, MD 20854, USA
http://www.tastadc.org/

Taiwanese American Science and Technology Association

華府台灣產業科技推動協會

10806 Hillbrooke Lane, Potomac, MD 20854, USA
http://www.tastadc.org/

TASTA's Open Statement on the Case of Dr. Ching-jyh Shieh

June 14, 2006

We, the Taiwanese American Science and Technology Association (TASTA), a nonprofit organization in DC formed by many Taiwanese scientists and engineers, do hereby express our deep concern about the detention in Taiwan of Dr. Shieh Ching Jyh, a highly regarded scientist and a top-notch engineer in the science and technology community. Dr. Shieh, the former Deputy Minister of the National Science Council in Taiwan, was arrested on Tuesday May 23, 2006.

Dr. Shieh is being detained without having been charged. According to press reports in Taiwan, a member of the prosecutor’s office in Tainan leaked information to the press that Dr. Shieh “is suspected of revealing secret information and benefiting others.” We find this kind of procedure contrary to the basic principles of due process, justice and the rule of law.

While we will not comment on the case itself, we do believe that Dr. Shieh is a person with the high moral and ethical standards and high integrity. He gave up his American citizenship and returned to Taiwan to help his motherland develop into a high-tech nation: he was one of the major forces behind Taiwan's space program in the 1990s; including the recent launching of Formosa III satellite. His outright dedication to Taiwan and his accomplishments are well-known and admired by all of us.

We are thus extremely distressed to see him incarcerated even though the detention is for interrogative purposes only and it is in no way an indication of his guilt. We hope that the judicial system in Taiwan has matured enough to treat the case in a fair and just manner without any outside influence, be it political or otherwise. We strongly urge the authorities in Tainan to either file specific charges against Dr. Shieh and present the evidence in the case, or otherwise he should be set free immediately from the interrogative detainment, his name be cleared, and be reinstated in his position as Deputy Minister of the National Science Council, if the prosecutors can not produce solid evidence against Dr. Shieh.

Minze V. Chien, Ph.D.

President, TASTA