17 Facts About Chen Wen-chen

Chen Wen-chen was a Taiwanese assistant professor of mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University who died on 3 July 1981 under mysterious circumstances.

Chen Wen-chen was instructed not to leave Taiwan on his scheduled departure date.

In 2020, the Transitional Justice Commission released a report concluding that Chen Wen-chen was most likely killed by state security agencies.

Chen Wen-chen was one of eight children and was outspoken and straightforward, according to his brother.

Chen Wen-chen was known to have criticized the Kuomintang -led government in private conversations and advocated for Taiwan independence, raising funds to help those imprisoned in the wake of the Kaohsiung Incident as well as in support for Formosa Magazine, which opposed the KMT's one-party rule.

Chen Wen-chen published several papers in the area of statistics and probability.

Chen Wen-chen applied for the exit permit required to return to the US upon arrival, but it had not been granted by the time he was scheduled to depart on 1 July 1981.

Chen Wen-chen's case was among many instances of KMT surveillance in the United States which was acted on by the Taiwan Garrison Command when the subject of the investigation returned to Taiwan.

Chen Wen-chen's family stated that it would have been impossible for Chen Wen-chen to commit suicide, as it was uncharacteristic of his nature.

Chen Wen-chen Su-jen was immediately suspicious of several wounds which seemed atypical of a fall.

Garrison Command officials contend Chen Wen-chen confessed to seditious acts during his return to Taiwan, soliciting funds to support the anti-government Formosa Magazine and attempting to establish democratic reforms.

Preliminary autopsy results by Taiwan authority stated Chen Wen-chen had suffered thirteen broken ribs, a broken pubis and three fractured vertebrae.

Chen Wen-chen's father tried to set up a scholarship in Chen Wen-chen's name, but was denied permission by the government.

In 2014, students at NTU successfully lobbied to rename the campus square where Chen Wen-chen's body was found as a memorial space, and a design contest was held in 2016 to increase student and public awareness of Chen Wen-chen's death.

The memorial at National Taiwan University is in front of the staircase where Chen Wen-chen's body was found.

Chen Wen-chen's family filed suit against five officials of the Taiwan Garrison General Headquarters in 2001, seeking the truth behind the events leading up to his death.

On 5 May 2020, the Transitional Justice Commission released a report that found that Chen Wen-chen was most likely killed by state security agents.