Henry Liu, also known by his pen name Chiang Nan, was a Taiwanese-American writer and journalist who was assassinated on October 15, 1984, in the garage of his home in Daly City, California. Liu was a vocal critic of the Kuomintang (KMT), the ruling party of Taiwan at the time, and had written an unauthorized biography of Chiang Ching-kuo, the then-president of Taiwan.
His assassination was a politically motivated act orchestrated by members of the Bamboo Union, a Taiwanese gang, reportedly under the direction of Taiwan's military intelligence.
On the morning of his death, Liu's wife, Helen, noticed two Asian men riding bicycles near their house. Shortly after, she heard loud noises from the garage and discovered her husband had been shot. The investigation revealed that the assailants were members of the Bamboo Union, who had been trained by Taiwan's military intelligence. The murder was part of a broader effort to silence Liu, who had been critical of the Taiwanese government and its leaders.
The case led to significant legal proceedings and international attention. Tung Kuei-sen, a member of the Bamboo Union, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 27 years to life in prison. During his trial, Tung admitted to shooting Liu and claimed he was following orders from Taiwan's intelligence agency. He stated that he believed he was performing an act of patriotism, as he had been told that Liu was a traitor to Taiwan.
In addition to Tung, other individuals were implicated in the assassination. David Yu, another suspect, was initially arrested but later released due to insufficient evidence. However, the investigation continued, and authorities identified three other members of the Bamboo Union as suspects. These individuals were believed to have fled to Taiwan, and efforts were made to extradite them to the United States for trial.
The murder of Henry Liu highlighted the lengths to which the Taiwanese government and its affiliates were willing to go to suppress dissent and criticism. The case remains a significant example of political assassination and the complex interplay between organized crime and state intelligence agencies. Despite the convictions and ongoing investigations, the full extent of the Taiwanese government's involvement in Liu's assassination remains a topic of debate and scrutiny.
