Mr. Lin Huang National Coordinator CBS Incident Committee 3044 Albany Crescent 1G Bronx, NY 10463 (718)-548-9114 Mr. Eric Ober President, CBS News 524 West 57th St. New York, NY 10019 Dear Mr. Ober: Most of us in the Chinese community watched, with great anticipation, the CBS clarification aired on October 21 regarding the Chinese spy segment on May 19, which branded all Chinese people in the US as either spies or potential spies. After a few days of discussion across the country, we do feel that CBS has taken a sincere step in the right direction, a step we hope can indeed lead to a long-term constructive relationship between CBS News and the Chinese community in this country. While we acknowledge and appreciate this positive move by the CBS management, we must, however, point out that the clarification falls far short of undoing all the damages that have already been done to us. This clarification lasted only several seconds, compared to the four minutes and fifteen seconds you used for the sensational story on May 19. While the story was heavily promoted before its airing, the clarification came and went without any promotion. Besides, we cannot help but note the difference between the script in closed caption and what the reporter actually read. While the captions read "we apologize," the anchorwoman read "we regret it." This apparently deliberate difference shows insincerity by some in your staff but also sincerity at least by those who drafted the script. As I write, there are still a lot hurt feelings and a lot of hurt people out there. A danger lingers on that members of our community will suffer in one way or another because of the libelous story five months ago. We wish balanced and professionally produced programs could be aired to undo the harm. We, and the staff at the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars, will do our best to cooperate and help. I hope that our good will shall be reciprocated and that no similar incidents occur ever again. I am pleased to inform you that the ad hoc CBS Incident Committee is now being reorganized into a permanent body to help and monitor in future Chinese-related news coverage and other civil rights issues in the US. We are determined not to tolerate more than our fair share of racial stereotyping and discrimination. May this unfortunate incident mark a turning point for the better in the relationship between the Chinese community and the CBS News. We appreciate much your very sincere letter to Ms. Ginny Gong, which has shown your personal integrity and principles. But there are much to be done to communicate with some people in your organization and few others such as Mr. Eftimiades, the person who lied to your people about his expertise. Yours Truly, Lin Huang National Coordinator CBS-IC CC: Vice President Lane Venardos Producer Tom Anderson Anchor Connie Chung Anchor Dan Rather Foreign Editor Allen Alter P.S. You may call the following number to check Mr. Eftimiades and DIA's position, Mr. Donal R. Lenker, Chief, Public Liaison Staff, DIA, at (703)-695-0071 And also U.S. Commerce Department to verify the following data: US Commerce Department (1986 -1993, Including Civil Cases) Hong Kong Cases PRC Cases All the Cases (Including East Bloc) (Including via HK) Around World 1986 0 0 21 1987 1 1 24 1988 3 4 38 1989 11 2 46 1990 3 0 41 1991 2 1 44 1992 2 2 49 1993 5 4 37 Total 27 14 300 9.00% 4.67% 100.00% Please note that, in Mr. Eftimiades's book and Mr. Lane Venardos' letter to IFCSS, you both mentioned "13.4% " or "one in eight" cases involving PRC. It is impossible unless you add all the East Bloc's and Hong Kong's cases to PRC. Otherwise, it is "5%" or "one in twenty". Furthermore, civil cases are not all espionage cases. When we look at Justice Department's record: Significant Export Control Cases, January 1981 to October 1, 1993 Justice Department Iran 21% Russia 8% South Africa 6% Libya 6% England 4% P.R. China 3% (2.9%, or 9 cases out of 309) HongKong 3% (Hong Kong 2.6% and Taiwan 0.3%, 8+1 cases) Switzerland 3% Iraq 3% West Germany 2% Cuba 2% Japan 2% Chile 2% It is only 3%, or one in thirty. The convicted are not all Chinese. Another list, looking at the time span, the cases involving China are: 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 0 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 We have investigated each and every line in your program as well as in the book. There are numerous errors in both. They are hardly professional.