The Voice of North America Taiwanese Professors

Lung-chu Chen

North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association (NATPA, its acronym) is returning to Taiwan to celebrate its twentieth anniversary, from June 23rd to July first. Its central theme is “Vision For the New Century: Toward A Beautiful, Safe, and Sustainable Nation!” The series of activities include: first, a symposium on society, humanity and technology, co-sponsored by Cheng-Kung University in Tainan; second, a symposium on bio-medical science, co-sponsored by Chang-hua Christian Hospital; and third, an academic and national affairs conference of overseas Taiwanese, with participation of a number of fellows of Academia Sinica, new ministers, and legislators. It is a huge undertaking.

In December 1979, 137 Taiwanese professors and scholars living in the United States issued a joint statement in the Washington Post, protesting the Kuomintang regime’s deprivation of fundamental freedoms and human rights of the Taiwanese people, as spotlighted by the Formosa Incident in Kaoshiung. As a further expression of their continuing concern and support for Taiwan’s democracy and dignity, they established North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association in April 1980. NATPA has made significant contributions during the past twenty years. In 1990 and in 1994, NATPA returned to Taiwan to hold its annual meetings. In 1995, it also came to Taiwan to hold, in collaboration with National Taiwan University Legal Foundation, an international conference on freedom of the press and the mass media, in order to put an end to the then monopoly of the electronic media by KMT, the government and the military.

In celebrating NATPA’s 20th anniversary here in Taiwan, its members have shown a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm, and expressed a high hope and expectation for the new administration of Chen Shui-bian. A number of NATPA members who have returned and resided in Taiwan have joined the new administration.

As in the past, North America Taiwanese Professors will continue to pay close attention to the affairs of their homeland and to make further contributions. Overseas Taiwanese will certainly join hands with their brothers and sisters here in Taiwan to build “a beautiful, safe, and sustainable nation” in the new century.