We write this letter to express our deep concern about the recent court detention of Dr Shieh Ching Jyh (謝清志), a highly regarded member of our organization. Shieh's dedication to Taiwan and his accomplishments, including the recent launching of the Formosa III satellite, are well-known and admired by all of us.
We are thus extremely distressed to see him incarcerated even though the detention is for questioning only and it is in no way an indication of his guilt.
Over the last few years, numerous Taiwanese Americans have returned to Taiwan with the desire to help their homeland.
They did so purely for love of their motherland. Despite such noble intentions, it has not been easy for them because of the divisive political environment in Taiwan. While there were a few instances in the past in which some of them ran into legal entanglements out of ignorance or unfamiliarity with local regulations, the case of Shieh appears to be particularly troublesome.
While we do not pretend to know all the details of Shieh's case, we believe from what has been reported in the media that Shieh is innocent of any wrongdoing.
We hope that the judicial system in Taiwan has matured sufficiently to treat the case in a fair and just manner without influence from outside, be it political, media or anything else.
We would like Shieh to be set free from his detainment for questioning if the prosecutors can not produce solid evidence against him soon.
Edward Huang
President
North American Taiwanese Professors' Association
San Ramon, California
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