Chen Wen-chen (, sometimes romanized as ''Chen Wen-cheng'') was a Taiwanese assistant professor of
mathematics
Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...
(specializing in
probability
Probability is a branch of mathematics and statistics concerning events and numerical descriptions of how likely they are to occur. The probability of an event is a number between 0 and 1; the larger the probability, the more likely an e ...
and
statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...
) at
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
who died on under mysterious circumstances. After the conclusion of his third year of teaching, he returned to his native Taiwan for a vacation. He was instructed not to leave Taiwan on his scheduled departure date. Members of Taiwan's secret police, the
Garrison Command, detained and interrogated him for twelve hours on 2 July 1981,
and his body was found on the campus of
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...
the next day. The subsequent autopsy reported his death was due to a fall.
Chen's death and the earlier
massacre of Lin Yi-hsiung's family are cited as late examples of
White Terror dissident suppression activities in Taiwan,
although the case remains unsolved
and the Garrison Command maintains it had nothing to do with his death. In 2020, the
Transitional Justice Commission
The Transitional Justice Commission (TJC; ) was an independent government agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) active from 31 May 2018 to 30 May 2022 based on the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice. The commission is responsible for the in ...
released a report concluding that Chen was most likely killed by state security agencies.
Personal life
Chen was one of eight children
and was outspoken and straightforward, according to his brother.
He was known to have criticized the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
(KMT)-led government in private conversations
and advocated for
Taiwan independence
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of Chi ...
,
raising funds to help those imprisoned in the wake of the
Kaohsiung Incident
The Kaohsiung Incident, also known as the Formosa Incident, the Meilidao Incident, or the ''Formosa Magazine'' incident,tang was a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations that occurred in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 10 December 1979 during Taiwa ...
as well as in support for ''Formosa Magazine'', which opposed the KMT's one-party rule.
Academic career
Chen graduated with a B.S. in mathematics from National Taiwan University (NTU) in 1972 and served in the military, fulfilling his compulsory service. He left Taiwan for the United States in 1975, earning M.S. (1976) and Ph.D. (1978) degrees in statistics from the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
, with Professor Bruce Hill stating that he was "outstanding ... the best
tudentthat I'd seen in statistics in 21 years."
Upon graduating from Michigan, he joined the faculty in the Department of Statistics of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the fall of 1978. He published several papers in the area of statistics and probability.
Detainment and death
After his mother visited him in 1981 and assuaged his concerns about safely traveling to Taiwan,
Chen returned to Taiwan for the first time since he had left in 1975, arriving on 20 May 1981 with his wife and son.
He applied for the exit permit required to return to the US upon arrival, but it had not been granted by the time he was scheduled to depart on 1 July 1981. Typically, exit permits are granted within 48 hours.
Instead, Chen was questioned by Garrison Command for two hours about his United States activities on 30 June 1981,
with one question about a personal visit revealing that he had been spied upon.
After the first interview, Chen was told he should receive the exit permit the next day.
Chen's wife, Chen Su-jen (), received a phone call late in the afternoon of 1 July 1981 asking that Chen remain at home early the next morning to await another phone call from the Entrance and Exit Bureau. On the morning of 2 July 1981, officials from Garrison Command showed up at their door and Chen was taken for interrogation, which lasted more than 12 hours.
Garrison Command state he was released to return to his brother's apartment, but his body was discovered on the campus of NTU the next morning. A family friend, Teng Wei-hsiang, has claimed that Chen visited him on the evening of 2 July 1981 after the second interview, where Chen reportedly said he was afraid of being imprisoned, but Teng was unable to remember critical details later.
Reportedly, there was some money tucked into his shoe,
which is said to be a trick to keep murdered souls moving to the underworld.
Chen's case was among many instances of KMT surveillance in the United States which was acted on by the Taiwan Garrison Command when the subject of the investigation returned to Taiwan.
Investigations
In the initial days following the discovery of Chen's body, Taiwan Garrison Commander-in-chief General Wang Ching-hsu speculated that Chen committed suicide, fearing arrest for his unpatriotic crimes, and claimed the interview was "cordial and friendly."
Garrison Command spokesman General Hsu Mei-ling echoed the accusations of suicide, adding that they did not believe his activities did not reach a criminal level. Chen's family stated that it would have been impossible for Chen to commit suicide,
as it was uncharacteristic of his nature. Chen Su-jen was immediately suspicious of several wounds which seemed atypical of a fall.
Carnegie Mellon's president,
Richard Cyert further stated that he had plenty of reasons to live, with a one-year-old son and a promising academic career.
In late July, the Taipei district prosecutor's office allowed the possibility the death may have been an accident instead of suicide,
opening the possibility of further investigation if new information or evidence became available. The
Control Yuan
The Control Yuan is the supervisory and auditory branch of the government of the Republic of China, both during its time in mainland China and Taiwan.
Designed as a hybrid of auditor and ombudsman by Taiwanese law, the Control Yuan holds th ...
later backed further away from suicide allegations, stating "the death was most likely accidental" in August 1981.
Garrison Command officials contend Chen confessed to seditious acts during his return to Taiwan, soliciting funds to support the anti-government ''
Formosa Magazine
''Formosa Magazine'', also known as Mei-li-tao (), was a magazine created by ''Tangwai'' individuals in Taiwan during the summer of 1979. It opposed the Kuomintang's political monopoly in the Republic of China government. A police raid of the ' ...
''
and attempting to establish democratic reforms.
They confronted him with photocopies of letters he had written to
Shih Ming-teh
Shih Ming-teh (; 15 January 1941 – 15 January 2024), commonly known as Nori Shih, was a Taiwanese statesman and human rights defender. He was once a political prisoner for 25-and-a-half years.
Arrested at the age of 21 in 1962 and charged w ...
while Shih was imprisoned.
Wiretap records released in 2020 revealed that the Garrison Command became aware of Chen through a tapped conversation with Shih, and labeled him as a "traitor" on the basis of that conversation.
CMU President Cyert wrote a letter to
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo (, 27 April 1910 – 13 January 1988) was a politician of the Republic of China. The eldest and only biological son of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, he held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China and ended ...
, who then promised a complete investigation into Chen's death.
Cyert later pressed for State Department
and congressional investigations
once it became clear the KMT-led government had no intention of uncovering the true culprits.
Chen Su-jen would later testify at a congressional hearing in October 1981.
Autopsies
Preliminary autopsy results by Taiwan authority stated Chen had suffered thirteen broken ribs, a broken pubis and three fractured vertebrae.
Cyril Wecht
Cyril Harrison Wecht (March 20, 1931 – May 13, 2024) was an American forensic pathology, forensic pathologist. He was president of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American College of Legal Medicine, and headed the board ...
, a forensic pathologist and a former coroner, stated the autopsy report was incomplete and offered to perform another autopsy.
Wecht traveled to Taipei with
Morris H. DeGroot, chair of the CMU statistics department in September 1981 to launch their own investigation. Wecht concluded, following a visual examination,
and later published in ''
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' that Chen was murdered,
"both the location of the body and the pattern of injuries are consonant with the explanation that Chen's body was held in as horizontal position over the railing of the fire escape and dropped onto the ground below." However, no action was taken by the Taiwan government.
Tina Chou (), an American reporter with the Associated Press, had her press credentials revoked by Taiwan's
Government Information Office
The Government Information Office, Executive Yuan (GIO; ) was a cabinet-level agency of the Executive Yuan of Taiwan, Taiwan (the Republic of China) in charge of promoting government policies and regulating media in Taiwan, domestic media.
Histo ...
after reporting the results of Wecht's investigation.
To protest the government's insufficient investigation, Chen's family refused to inter his body, and the funeral was not held until 7 January 1982.
"Professional students"
While he was a student at Michigan, Chen approached the school newspaper, ''The Michigan Daily'', with a list of alleged secret agents of the Kuomintang government working at Michigan.
Although the ''Daily'' did not run a story at the time, the issue of "professional students" with KMT sponsorship became more visible following Chen's death; a "professional student" is understood to be one who reports on pro-independence students and faculty to the Taiwan government in addition to their studies.
US Representative
Jim Leach
James Albert Smith Leach (October 15, 1942 – December 11, 2024) was an American academic and politician. He served as ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013 and was a member of the U.S. House of Representat ...
(R-IA) accused Taiwanese students of reporting Chen's activities to KMT authorities in July 1981, and Representative
Stephen Solarz
Stephen Joshua Solarz (; September 12, 1940 – November 29, 2010) was an American educator and politician who served as a United States representative from New York until his political career ended in the wake of the House banking scandal in 1 ...
(D-NY) held a subcommittee hearing in July 1981 where similar accusations were made.
Leach asked the U.S. Attorney General to take positive steps to combat spying, including determining whether or not the use of "professional students" violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act. One year after Chen's death, student spying activity on the CMU campus was judged to have ceased.
James Soong
Soong Chu-yu (; born 30 April 1942), also known by his English name James Soong, is a Taiwanese political scientist and politician who is the founder and chairman of the People First Party. Soong was the first and only elected governor of Taiw ...
, then the head of the Taiwan Government Information Office, flatly denied student spying allegations.
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, t=馬英九; pinyin: ''Mǎ Yīngjiǔ''; ; born 13 July 1950) is a Taiwanese politician, lawyer, and legal scholar who served as the sixth president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Kuomintang (KMT ...
has been accused numerous times of being a "professional student", later filing suit over allegations made that he was a "professional student" at a memorial rally for Chen.
Legacy
Memorials
Carnegie Mellon
Carnegie may refer to:
People
*Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name
**Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist
* Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan
Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie
* ...
and
National Taiwan University
National Taiwan University (NTU; zh, t=國立臺灣大學, poj=Kok-li̍p Tâi-oân Tāi-ha̍k, p=, s=) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in 1928 during Taiwan under J ...
have both held memorial services on the anniversary of Chen's death. Chen's father tried to set up a scholarship in Chen's name, but was denied permission by the government.
A memorial to Chen was officially inaugurated on February 2, 2021 on the National Taiwan University campus,
the culmination of an effort initiated in 2011 when the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Foundation sent a letter to the president of the university requesting the creation of the memorial. The letter never received a response, but it was brought up the next year at a student assembly meeting, where it was referred to the Gallery of NTU History. In 2014, students at NTU successfully lobbied to rename the campus square where Chen's body was found as a memorial space, and a design contest was held in 2016 to increase student and public awareness of Chen's death. As construction was to begin on the memorial in 2019, NTU president
Kuan Chung-ming withdrew the university's half of the funds for the memorial, but the Foundation along with NTU student groups and mathematics department were able to raise sufficient funds ($11 million NTD) in the next three months. The university ended up agreeing to provide $1 million NTD in February 2020, and construction began in July 2020. On June 19, 2021, NTU faculty, staff, and student representatives voted and approved a proposal to include a plaque commemorating Chen at the memorial site.
The memorial at National Taiwan University is in front of the staircase where Chen's body was found.
Lawsuit
Chen's family filed suit against five officials of the
Taiwan Garrison General Headquarters in 2001, seeking the truth behind the events leading up to his death.
They had hoped that when
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian ( zh, t=陳水扁; born 12 October 1950) is a Taiwanese former politician and lawyer who served as the fifth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2000 to 2008. Chen was the first president from the Democratic Progres ...
was elected, the investigation would be reopened, but were disappointed.
''Formosa Betrayed''
The events surrounding Chen's death as well as the murder of
Henry Liu inspired the film ''
Formosa Betrayed''.
Later investigation
In 2006, the Taipei prosecutor's office stated that missing evidence and personnel were hampering any further investigations.
However, the original interrogation transcript was recovered in 2009,
giving fresh hope to investigators. Four weeks later, the prosecutor's office closed its investigation, stating there was insufficient evidence to charge five Garrison Command officials: Wang Ching-hsu (), Kuo Hsueh-chou (), Tsuo Hsiao-han (), Wang Wen-bin () and Wang Yi-hua (). The investigations were criticized for not taking a fresh look at the existing evidence, questioning the motivation behind reopening the case.
On 5 May 2020, the
Transitional Justice Commission
The Transitional Justice Commission (TJC; ) was an independent government agency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) active from 31 May 2018 to 30 May 2022 based on the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice. The commission is responsible for the in ...
released a report that found that Chen was most likely killed by state security agents.
References
Notes
Bibliography/External Links
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{{Authority control
1950 births
1981 deaths
University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni
National Taiwan University alumni
Scientists from Taipei
Carnegie Mellon University faculty
Taiwanese people of Hoklo descent
White Terror (Taiwan)