Panel #5: Wen Ho Lee Part II
Glenn Omatsu
Edward Gerjuoy

Panel #1: HISTORY OF TAIWAN

Starting from the first recorded history of Taiwan about two thousand years ago, to the present state of the island, this panel will explore the changes the island went through. Taiwan was never center of politics or history until the Sino-Japanese War in which China lost Taiwan to Japan more than a century ago. After World War II and Taiwan returned to the hands of Republic of China, she was a source among conflicts among the native inhabitants, early immigrants and Mainland Chinese officials. Meanwhile, China was enmeshed in a civil war between Communist forces led by Mao Zedong and the Kuomintang (KMT) led by Chiang Kai-shek, who had assumed leadership of the party in the mid-1920s after the death of KMT founder Sun Yat-sen. With mainland China falling to the Communists, Chiang moved the KMT government from Nanjing to Taipei on December 8, 1949. With the military and economic aid from the United States, the island had become a showcase of modern economic development, with a growth rate far above that of most other Asian economies. In the early 1970s Taiwan's international situation changed radically. The decision by the United States government to seek contact with the Communist government in Beijing, on the mainland, led to Taiwan's expulsion from the United Nations in 1971, and China's seat was given to the Communist government. Many nations transferred their diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing. While Taiwan's international political status gradually weakens, her economy continued to expand. Under the threat of military invasion from the Mainland China, nevertheless, Taiwan elected a pro-independence president two years ago, the second president elected by the general population.

Panel #2: TAIWAN ECONOMY AND THE ASIAN CRISIS

Taiwan is known as for its "Taiwan Miracle" and as one of the Four Tiger countries in East Asia. At first during the Asia Financial Crisis, Taiwan seemed to be unaffected by the economic instability of the region. However, a year later, Taiwan's economy started to see strains. Now, she is on the verge of entering into a financial crisis on a scale similar to what Japan went through ten years ago. The stocks are at an all time low, the financial industry is on the verge of collapse, the government is running a large deficit, there are sensitive cross-strait relations, and extremely unstable political sentiment. It will be quite a challenge to maneuver Taiwan clear of destabilizing economic situations in the next 24 months, which obviously has tremendous impact on Taiwan's traditional and high tech industries. This panel will discuss the current situation of the economy, how the current political and social instability of the island is affecting the economy and any possible solutions to this crisis. We will also cover how the slowing economy is affecting Taiwan's status among other countries economically and politically.

While Professor Kang's perspective will examine Taiwan's economy in more detail, Professor McNelis will provide a general scope of the Asian Crisis and draw comparisons and contrasts of Taiwan's financial status with that of Indonesia, Japan, and more industrialized nations in Latin America.

Panel #3: CROSS-STRAIT RELATIONS

This panel will help students understand the developing political strategies and dimensions that are interlaced between the U.S., Taiwan, and China since the end of World War II. We will also explore the change in US policy towards the region from the Clinton administration and the Bush administration. Some people see the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics as a step to create a better communication platform across the strait. Many leaders and political figures have made speeches, and we will explore them as well, the implication they have on the region.

Panel #4: ASIAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE

Dr. Peter Kiang and Professor Jean Wu will walk us through Asian American history and discuss numerous issues related to the Asian American experience. In addition to providing a historical perspective on the Asian American experience, with regards to stereotypes, prejudices, and racial profiling, they will discuss the future of Asian American studies, why Asian American history is a part of American history, and whether they foresee Asian American history programs being implemented in the K-12 program and not just in higher education.

Panel #5:WEN HO LEE PART II

Dr. Lee is an American citizen, born in Taiwan, who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory since 1980. Dr. Lee was terminated from his job in March of 1999 as a physicist from Los Alamos National Laboratories just nine months short of his retirement because of allegations that he was a spy. His name was leaked unlawfully to the media, which resulted in incalculable damage to his reputation, career and family. Evidence of espionage by Dr. Wen Ho Lee has never been the impetus of this investigation. In fact, officials have admitted that since day one, there has never been any kind of evidence of espionage. Although the governments case against Dr. Lee recently ended in a plea bargain, the Wen Ho Lee incident continues to reverberate in the Asian Pacific American community because of the alarming civil rights violations that took place during the course of the governments investigation of Dr. Lee. In light of the unnecessarily harsh treatment of Dr. Lee, many have raised questions whether Dr. Lee had been the target of racial profiling. Others have asked whether Dr. Lee was used as a political scapegoat for the lax nuclear lab security at Los Alamos. An update as well as previous issues regarding racial profiling and discrimination will be discussed of the case. Perspectives from well-established professionals in law and the sciences will allow students to understand the Wen Ho Lee case from all angles. While most are aware of what the media has covered, we invite students to learn more about the details of the case itself and the implications of how Asian-Americans are perceived in our society.

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    Sponsored by
Taiwanese United Foundation South California; Taiwanese American Foundation