Commissioner, U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights
Date: February 10, 2000
Re: Dr. Wen Ho Lee
Dear
Ms. Lee:
Like many other Chinese Americans across the
country, I have been following the trial of Dr. Wen Ho Lee with interest. As an elected representative of over 1.4
million people, I have become increasingly alarmed by the racist overtones
connected with the trial.
While I am not in a position to judge the guilt or
innocence of Dr. Lee, I wish to express my personal concern and the concern of
constituents who have contacted my office over the handling of Dr. Lee’s
case. In particular, I would ask that
the Commission conduct an investigation into the issues of selective
prosecution of Dr. Lee, guarantee of a fair trial, and a possible racial
backlash on other Chinese American defense industry personnel.
I am sure that you will agree that the foundations
of American Democracy include fairness and the guarantee of equal rights to all
citizens regardless of race. I believe
that the Civil Rights Commission has both a right and obligation to insure that
these values are applied to the highest degree in a case of such high
visibility.
If you have any questions regarding my request,
please feel free to contact my office.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Wilma Chan