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March calls for unity to support gender equality

HUMAN RIGHTS: The march celebrates women, but also advocates that everyone can support women’s rights, its founder said, adding that gender inequality affects all

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 10, 2019
By: Davina Tham  /  Staff reporter

The third annual Women’s March in Taipei yesterday afternoon called on people of all backgrounds to

Singer-songwriter Lara Veronin, center in pink, raises her fists, while her sister, director, singer and actor Esther Veronin, holds a placard reading “No more patriarchy” during the Women’s March in Taipei’s Liberty Square yesterday.  Photo: Hu Shun-hsiang, Taipei Times

unite in support of women’s rights.

Women’s March Taiwan founder Crystal Liu (劉小妤) said that regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, gender inequality is a universal issue that affects everyone.

“Of course we are celebrating women, but we are also celebrating that everyone can support women’s rights,” Liu said.

About 100 people, including representatives from the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, which sponsored the event, participated in the march to mark International Women’s Day.
[FULL  STORY]

Five people with type A influenza in recovery: Hospital

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 08 March, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Five people with type A influenza in recovery: Hospital

The Taipei City Hospital says that five of its nursing home residents infected with the influenza A virus are now recovering.

A cluster outbreak of Type A influenza began at the Taipei City Hospital’s nursing home earlier this week. Six residents developed a fever and five of them have been confirmed to be infected with the influenza A virus.    [FULL  STORY]

Has Tsai’s New Southbound Policy Opened the Floodgates to Exploitation?

Recent cases of alleged labor abuse raise serious questions of whether the policy exploits by design.

The News Lens
Date: 2019/03/08
By: Nick Aspinwall

Credit: Reuters / TPG

In a recent interview with CNN, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) warned of the threat posed by Beijing to the global world order, urging the democratic world to stand with Taiwan. “If it’s Taiwan today, people should ask who’s next?” she said. “Our challenge is whether our independent existence, security, prosperity and democracy can be maintained. This is the biggest issue for Taiwan.”

Under Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan has asked global protectors of democracy and human rights to recognize and support its plight. As a country priding itself on it own protection of human rights, however, Taiwan has categorically failed to protect the rights of its 700,000 Southeast Asian migrant workers and its rapidly growing number of international students.

Tsai’s signature New Southbound Policy, which aims to bolster ties with South and Southeast Asian countries and promote people-to-people exchanges, has increasingly been spotlighted as a prime engine of exploitation. New avenues have been opened which have allowed bad actors to recruit international students to problematic work-study programs and potentially abuse group tourist visa schemes for human trafficking purposes. It raises the question: Is this a bug or a feature? A January Taipei Times editorial called on Taiwan to “stop the abuse of a well-intended system.” But the prevalence of this abuse, and the governmental disinterest in reforming the systems which have long enabled it, raise questions of how well-intended this system truly is for migrant workers and international students.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan tightens tourism program for Southeast Asian visitors following abuses

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/08 
By:  Central News Agency

Travelers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. (By Central News Agency)

A program that makes it easier for tour groups from certain Southeast Asian countries to visit Taiwan has been tightened after it was used in December to get more than 100 Vietnamese into Taiwan to work rather than travel, the Tourism Bureau said Friday.

The bureau said the program, which made it more convenient for citizens of Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and India to visit Taiwan, will suspend partnerships with foreign travel agencies for two months should three or more members of group tours they arrange overstay their visa in Taiwan or go unaccounted for.

If the number reaches six, the bureau said, those agencies will be removed from the program, said bureau official Chen Pei-chen (陳佩岑).

The restrictions came after 152 Vietnamese tourists –23 of whom arrived in Taiwan in one tour group on Dec. 21 and 129 who came in three groups on Dec. 23 — went missing soon after arriving in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]

Dutch priest passes away after life-long service in Taiwan

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/03/08
By: Huang Kuo-fang and Flor Wang

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) Antoine Henri Marie Pierrot (畢耀遠), a much-revered Catholic priest from the

Antoine Henri Marie Pierrot (畢耀遠, seated)/CNA file photo

Netherlands who devoted most of his life to Taiwan, died Friday at the age of 96 in Yunlin County.

“Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Fr. Antoine Henri Marie Pierrot S.A.M. who was called home to heaven this morning 4:00 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Huwei, Yunlin,” the hospital announced in a Facebook post.

Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) expressed condolences over Pierrot’s death and urged the public to follow his suit to use love to make Taiwan a better place.

Pierrot, who came to Taiwan in 1954 aged 31, established St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1956 with another priest, Belgian Georges Massin (松喬), to take care of poor people in remote rural areas.
[FULL  STORY]

Majority of women have experienced workplace discrimination

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 07 March, 2019
By: Jake Chen

Majority of women have experienced workplace discrimination

Over half of women who took part in a recent survey say they have been treated unfairly in the workplace.

On Thursday, Job bank Yes 123 published the results of a survey of professional women. According to the survey, 58% of women believe there is severe sexism in professional environments. They say employers hold them to a certain standards of appearance. They also say they have been asked about personal matters including their relationship status, their plans to have children, and the timing of their menstrual cycles.

Many respondents also said they feel they are at a disadvantage compared to men when it comes to wages and career opportunities. Over 60% say they are paid less than their male colleagues who hold the same positions. The average wage gap, they said, is NT$6,299 (US$210).

About half of the respondents also say their gender leaves them with fewer opportunities for promotion. Of these respondents, only 26.9% say they have addressed this issue with their employer.
[FULL  STORY]

76 repeat DUI offenders attend lecture in funeral hall in New Taipei

76 repeat DUI offenders required to attend lecture in funeral parlor in New Taipei City

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/03/07
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

(By Central News Agency)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As part of an effort to reduce drunk driving deaths, 76 repeat DUI offenders were required to attend a workshop on road traffic safety at a funeral home in New Taipei City today, according to local media reports.

At 2 p.m. today, the Banqiao Motor Vehicles Supervision Station implemented its first traffic safety workshop in a side auditorium at the Banqiao Municipal Funeral Hall in New Taipei City. The Directorate General of Highway (DGH) said that it singled out 77 DUI repeat offenders, who had been arrested for the offense at least twice within five years, to attend the lecture.

The DGH said that, with the exception of one person who requested special leave in advance, the 76 other drivers attended the workshop.

The interior of the room was arranged to look like a funeral parlor for grieving a deceased loved one. A white couplet was hung on the front of the auditorium which read “Mourning the loss of 3,088 people who have died in drunk driving accidents across the country over the past five years.”   [FULL  STORY]

AIT lauds 2019 as ‘Pivotal Year’ for U.S.-Taiwan relations

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/03/07
By: Rita Cheng and Emerson Lim

Washington, March 6 (CNA) 2019 is a “pivotal year” for U.S.-Taiwan relations, John J. Norris Jr.,

John J. Norris Jr., Managing Director of the Washington Office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT)

Managing Director of the Washington Office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said Wednesday.

Norris made the comment in a press event held by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Washington D.C. to detail activities planned to mark 40 years of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Recently, Norris received Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) in Washington, and the U.S. State Department just announced Sam Brownback, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, will visit Taiwan around March 11.

Several U.S. lawmakers and special guests were present at the event, including Lester Wolff, who drafted the Act four decades ago.    [FULL  STORY]

Cabinet unveils plan to ban convicted teachers

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS: People convicted of abuse, kidnap or sexual exploitation of minors would be fired and banned from teaching for life, the Cabinet said

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 08, 2019
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

The Cabinet yesterday released draft amendments to the Teachers’ Act (教師法), which includes a

Students attend a class at Lujiang Elementary School in New Taipei City on Jan. 30.Photo: Lin Hsiao-yun, Taipei Times

provision that would dismiss unfit teachers and ban them from teaching for life.

The planned amendments define punishments for teachers based on the severity of breaches, which in the most extreme cases would result in dismissal and denial of future teaching positions.

Those convicted of treason, embezzlement, or sexual assault or harassment in a court or by the gender equality committee at their school would be permanently banned, according to the proposed changes.

Those convicted of mentally or physically abusing, kidnapping, or sexually exploiting minors, or committing other crimes defined by the Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法) would be subject to the same punishment.    [FULL  STORY]

Justice ministry to stiffen punishments for drunk driving

Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 06 March, 2019
By: Paula Chao

Justice ministry to stiffen punishments for drunk driving

The justice ministry has revised Article 185 of the criminal code to stiffen punishments for drunk driving.

Under the revision, drunk drivers who cause a fatal accident could be sentenced to up to twelve years in prison. Repeat offenders could face the death penalty. Drunk drivers’ vehicles will also be confiscated.

The draft revision of the article has been sent to the Cabinet for review.

The deputy justice minister, Tsai Bi-chong, told lawmakers Wednesday that the crime of repeat drunk driving crimes is tantamount to manslaughter. Tsai said the government’s planned punishments for drunk driving are the severest in the world.    [FULL  STORY]