Ep 305 | Sherry Chou Remembers Dr. Chen Wen-chen and Circumstances Surrounding his Mysterious Death

In July of 2024, we brought Talking Taiwan to the Taiwanese American Conference at West Chester University and I sat down to interview Sherry Chou, the Director of Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation.

 

Related Links:

https://talkingtaiwan.com/dr-sherry-chou-remembers-dr-chen-wen-chen-and-circumstances-surrounding-his-mysterious-death-ep-305/

 

Dr. Chen Wen-chen was an assistant professor of statistics at Carnegie Mellon University when he and his family returned to his native Taiwan for a vacation in the summer of 1981. Dr. Chen’s permit to leave the country to return to the U.S. was rejected and so the Taiwan Garrison Command called in Dr. Chen for questioning regarding his political beliefs and activities in the United States. They questioned him on June 30th and July 2nd,  but then on July 3, 1981, Chen’s body was found on the campus of National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei. At the time the autopsy reported that his death was due to a fall. Chen’s mysterious death shed light on how the work of Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang spies on U.S. campuses led to Chen’s interrogation by the Garrison Command.

 

Sherry and I talked about how and why it took 10 years to establish the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square at National Taiwan University (NTU), and the Rainbow Taiwan Independence Flag. Sherry also shared some memories of the Sunflower Movement, which you’ll hear Sherry refer to as sān yī ba, which is three one eight in mandarin Chinese, and a reference to March 18, 2014, the date that activists and students occupied Taiwan’s legislative yuan which became known as the Sunflower Movement.

 

Dr. Chen Wen-chen’s memory was honored at Taiwanese American Conference’s 2024 memorial concert.

 

This episode is sponsored in part by the Taiwanese American Council of Greater New York.

 

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

• Who Dr. Chen Wen-chen was

• The events leading up to the mysterious death of Dr. Chen

• Dr. Chen's body was found on July 3, 1981, on the ground at National Taiwan University

• Initial autopsy reported his death as a fall, but circumstances were suspicious

• His death shed light on the activities of Kuomintang (KMT) spies on U.S. campuses

• Why it took 10 years to establish the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Incident Memorial Square at National Taiwan University

• Sherry also talked about the Rainbow Taiwan independence flag project

• Sherry discussed her memories of the Sunflower Movement

• Dr. Chen Wen-chen was honored at the Taiwanese American Conference's 2024 Memorial Concert

• Dr. Chen fundraised for Formosa Magazine, which drew the attention of KMT agents

• Formosa Magazine is linked to the Formosa Incident, also known as the Kaohsiung Incident

• Recent f