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國 立 中 興 大 學 聲 明 稿
2013/9/4
台塑集團旗下的臺化纖公司與麥寮汽電公司控告本校工學院環工系莊秉潔教授(Ben-Jei Tsuang)妨害名譽損害賠償民事訴訟、合併求償四千萬一案，台北地院於9月4日判決「原告之訴駁回」，針對此，中興大學提出以下聲明：
1. 莊秉潔教授因在國光石化環評會議的學術研究成果之發表而遭台塑集團提起民事和刑事訴訟一案，中興大學於校務會議中通過[表達堅決捍衛學術研究自由的立場]，李德財校長對於此案司法判決的結果表示肯定，但對學術研究活動遭受不當干預以及莊教授之無端訟累，深表遺憾！
2. 莊教授於環評會議所發表的資料屬科學研究成果，且研究方法業經科學社群之同儕審查，獲得台灣風險分析學會(Taiwan Chapter of Society for Risk Analysis)之「海報論文獎」(Honorable Mention Poster Presentation)，所採用之空品模式(air quality model)也在國外知名Atmospheric Environment期刊上發表，自應受到學術自由之保障。
3. 國際頂級期刊Nature以及國際媒體Global Voice一年多來對本案持續追蹤報導，Science期刊也同樣表達關心，這個判例不僅保障台灣研究工作者的學術自由空間，亦確立了台灣之國際聲譽。
4. 本案被各界認為是一典型的「透過訴訟手段使公民噤聲」的SLAPP訴訟案(Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation，反公眾參與的策略訴訟)，近一千三百位國內外學者公開連署聲援並譴責台塑集團恣意興訟。反觀國際潮流，英國已在今年四月修法通過對言論及學術自由的更多保障，大幅提高企業提起誹謗訴訟之門檻。這是國內未來應走之路。
5. 台塑集團在台灣中部地區設廠營運，應善盡企業社會責任（Corporate Social Responsibility），謀求中部地區人民與環境之最大福祉。期盼台塑公司傾聽社會之不同意見，放棄所謂[希望藉由訴訟釐清真相]的態度，即刻停止所有與本案有關之民事與刑事訴訟，勿續浪費社會資源。
NCHU Statement
2013/9/4
The National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) issues the following statement in response to the Taipei District Court’s ruling on the civil lawsuit against Professor TSUANG Ben-Jei of NCHU filed by the Formosa Chemicals & Fiber Corporation and Mailiao Power Corporation, affiliates of Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) with a demand of forty million New Taiwan Dollars in damages (approximately US $1.3 million). The court dismissed the plaintiff’s claims today.
Professor TSUANG was the defendant in a civil and criminal lawsuit filed by the Formosa Chemicals & Fiber Corporation, which claimed that TSUANG had damaged the company's reputation by having published an environmental evaluation study concerning the Kuo Kuang Petrochemical Project. NCHU Senate representatives had previously declared in a University Senate meeting that “the University is committed to upholding the fundamental value of academic freedom” in support of TSUNG. NCHU President LEE Der-Tsai welcomes the court’s favorable ruling but expresses regrets about FPG’s undue legal actions and interference with academic freedom.
NCHU emphasizes that the methodologies and data presented by TSUANG at the Environmental Protection Administration meetings were carefully reviewed by the scientific community. The air quality model used for data analysis has been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Atmospheric Environment. These findings should be recognized as exercises of academic freedom of which the integrity should be protected. Those findings were also awarded the “Honorable Mention Poster Presentation” by Taiwan Chapter of Society for Risk Analysis.
Top International journals including Nature and Science and media network Global Voice have shown concerns and issued follow-up reports on the lawsuit. The University is pleased to see that the Court’s ruling upholds academic freedom of researchers in Taiwan while enhancing the image of Taiwan in the international community.
This case has been widely regarded as a typical SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) aiming to silence civil criticism through legal threats. About 1,300 academics signed an open letter to condemn FPG’s legal action against Professor TSUANG. We would like to emphasize that libel law reforms are taking place in many countries around the world. The UK, for example, passed an amendment this April to enhance the level of protection for freedom of speech and scientific debates. Large UK enterprises now can only file a lawsuit if they produce evidence proving “substantial financial losses” have been caused by their critics.
NCHU urges FPG to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities in protecting and enhancing the wellbeing of the residents and environment in central Taiwan. FPG should be open to different opinions rather than filing lawsuits to stifle criticisms. In defense of social coherence and academic integrity, we urge that FPG stop all civil and criminal suits against Professor TSUANG, and once again thank the court for their ruling in this matter.
莊 秉 潔 聲 明 稿
2013/9/4
謝謝台北地方法院可以在一年半的審查過程，維護學術自由及與民眾有關健康之知的權利。判決我勝訴。身為國立大學之教授，對研究出與中南部健康有關的結果，在經歷一定科學程序確定結果為合理推論。與決策者及可能受影響之民眾報告，是一個領取國家資源之學者之本分。基於學術倫理，不能輕易更改數字，亦不能因為鉅額求償而退縮。在這一年半的過程，有更多之科學證據如詹長權教授之研究及媒體南風之報導，表示前述之研究結果有一定可信度。
另一方面，一年半的訴訟已造成寒蟬效應。學生擔心被告，甚至對已被起訴短報空汚排放量之工廠，皆不敢在論文中撰寫其工廠名稱。個人的看法是如這研究與私德有關，的確不方便標示清楚研究對象的名字。但如與公共利益及居民健康有關，加上如是上市上櫃公司。根據政府資訊公開法的精神，是應讓鄰近民眾了解其可能受到的影響，以方便將研究成果回饋社會。
興大 李德財校長，選擇在最困難的時候，與我站在一起，非常謝謝。也謝謝大家在這百忙之中，願意來採訪。
 9月4日下午法院宣決後，興大陳吉仲主任秘書、興大環工系莊秉潔教授、興大工學院薛富盛院長（左至右）出面召開記者會，回應判決結果。 |
莊秉潔教授個人基本資料:
中興大學環工系莊秉潔教授於1990年到職至今已逾二十年，其研究成果在國科會之RPI值達100%，多篇研究報告收錄在相關領域的國際回顧文章中，為空氣污染領域之知名教授。
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