Letter to the American Institute in Taiwan

  Today I sent a letter to the director of the American Institute in Taiwan to update them on my case. In 2008 and 2009 I sent some emails and mailed some relevant documents to the AIT after problems with the civil court and later a criminal complaint was filed by the nursing college in one of their desperate attempts to intimidate me into dropping my lawsuit.  

  After an AIT representative checked with the civil court to find out why they refused to provide an interpreter for the first 2 court hearings, the judge asked me to pass a message to the AIT "not to interfere with the court". An early indication of the arrogance and disregard for even Taiwan's own laws and provisions for foreign litigants as well as for certain of their legal and human rights. 

  The American Institute has been able to do little else except to listen or read my letters & documents when I have something to update them about. 

  It's very much felt like I've been caught in a modern-day version of the 1997 movie "Red Corner", set in China and starring Richard Gere. Different countries and different crimes, yes, but too many similarities in several aspects of how foreigners (maybe many locals too) are treated by the courts and the stereotypes and prejudices with which they are viewed by the locals.

  Here's my letter to the AIT director:

 

September 21, 2010

美國在台協會 AIT

台北辦事處 楊甦棣 處長

Mr. William Stanton

106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號106-59 台北市大安區信義路三段134巷7號  

 

Dear Director Stanton,

   I am sending you some updated information and documents about a nasty problem I’ve had here in Taiwan for the past 3+ years. If you check my records at AIT, you will find more information about this that I sent in previous years. I hope you will take some time to review the new and the previously-sent documents so you can understand that what has been happening to me is an example of what has happened to many other expats working in or visiting Taiwan. These kinds of legal and human rights abuses will continue to happen unless the U.S. government takes some appropriate steps to ensure that U.S. citizens (as well as others) are treated fairly, impartially and according to international conventions on human and legal rights when they are the accused or are the accusers in Taiwan’s administrative, civil and criminal courts as well as the prosecutor’s office.
 

Regards, 

Curtis W. Diggs Jr.