Dr. Ching Jyh Shieh moved to the United States from his native Taiwan in 1968 to study at the University of Michigan, where he received a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering in 1975. He settled in Southern California with his wife and two children, working as an engineer and remaining active in the Taiwanese community, fighting for political and human rights for those he left behind in his homeland. For many years, labeled as troublemaking activists, Dr. Shieh and his wife Connie, were blacklisted from returning to their country by the reigning military KMT government. In 1995, Dr. Shieh was encouraged by recent improvements in Taiwan, and decided to leave his job in Southern California and return to Taiwan to offer the learning and skills he had gained abroad to contribute to his homeland. In 2000, Dr. Shieh was appointed a Deputy Minister in the National Science Council. In May of 2006, Dr. Shieh was arrested amid accusations of corruption and detained for 59 days, during which he was held in conditions in violation of international human rights standards. He was not allowed any contact with his family during this time. Taiwanese law allows prisoners who are under investigation to be extra-judicially detained for up to 4 months (without any charges brought against them). Furthermore, these detainees are not allowed any communication with or visitation by family members. More than two years later, Dr. Shieh has been cleared of all guilt by the presiding court. However, this victory has come at a precious price. Dr. Shieh willingly resigned from his job upon his detention; needless to say, the detention experience along with the long months afterward led him and his family in a harrowing and emotional journey. Furthermore, under Taiwanese law, the losing prosecution is allowed to appeal the not-guilty verdict to a higher court--which is not allowed under all countries that signed the European Convention of Human Rights which protects the defendant from being tried for the same crime twice--known as Double Jeopardy.
Since receiving his not-guilty verdict, Dr. Shieh has published a book about his experiences and traveled worldwide to speak about his case--hoping to draw attention to the reforms that need to take place in the Taiwanese judicial system. Dr. Shieh remains upbeat and energetic, maintaining a characteristically optimistic and generous outlook, choosing to see his experience not as a negative one, but one that reinforces his recognition of the very real human rights crises that continue to plague our world--even in such promising, young democracies as Taiwan. Dr. Shieh's experience has given him an opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, only enriching his life and, most importantly, giving him a voice which he can use to speak out against the mistreatment of others who come after him.
Comments