FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Holly Chang, Executive Director
media@committee100.org or 212-371-6565
Committee of 100 Commends U.S. Justice Department for Greater Oversight on National Security Cases
(New York, NY, April 28, 2016) — The Committee of 100 (C-100) commends the United States Justice Department for its recent policy change to reduce the risk of racial profiling, specifically of Chinese Americans working as scientists and in technical fields. The reform, which will introduce greater oversight into cases concerning national security, and prosecutions of alleged espionage, even if the technical charges do not name the crime as espionage, is much needed.
As an organization committed to the full inclusion of Chinese Americans in the U.S., the Committee has been a leader for 25 years in promoting due process and equal protection for Chinese Americans and Asian Americans. Since 2013, C-100 has been leading a series of educational seminars throughout the country for Asian Americans in the scientific community on the risks and requirements of U.S. laws on trade secrets, espionage, and export controls. This public service is provided in order to prevent Asian American scientists and government employees from being accused of wrongdoing due to insufficient knowledge of the risks and sensitives involved in their fields.
In the past year, C-100 has also been calling for greater accountability on the part of federal investigators and prosecutors, especially in the wake of the recent failed prosecutions of Dr. Xiaoxing Xi and Ms. Sherry Chen, both of whom were innocent of wrongdoing but had their lives ruined because of accusations that turned out to have no basis.
C-100 supports fair and appropriate investigation, prosecution, and punishment of espionage that is based on the evidence and not on profiling based on race, ethnicity or national origin. It urges that we remain true to the American ideals of the presumption of innocence, due process, and equal protection for all.
“There are more than 3.8 million Chinese Americans, almost all of whom are loyal, hard-working citizens no different than their neighbors, colleagues, and friends,” says Frank H. Wu, Committee of 100 Chairman. “Today’s move by the Justice Department was a step in the right direction, but there will continue to be suspicions of, and additional pressures placed on Chinese Americans as the relationship between the United States and China continues to evolve. We must all remain vigilant and work together to ensure that the civil rights of all Americans are protected without compromising national security interests.”
The Committee of 100 is an international non-partisan leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, entertainment, and the arts. For over 25 years, the Committee has been committed to a dual mission of promoting the full participation and inclusion of Chinese Americans in all fields of American life, and encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China. www.committee100.org.
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