T
aiwan's Human Rights
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Taiwan's Human Rights by world reports
    

 

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Yandex of Russia ,
2023-4-2, No.2 at
2022-6-5, 2022-3-1

 

 


pic.: No.2 "Taiwan human rights" on Yandex of Russia,2023-4-2, 2022-11-22; top 3 "Taiwan human rights" on Yandex, 2023-3-4;
No.1 "comment Taiwan human rights" on Yandex, 2023-4-2, 2022-11-22
 

 

    US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2023-3-20 (state.gov/reports/2022-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/):
 In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.
 In the year to May, 21 high-ranking officials, 38 mid-level, 83 low-level, and 18 elected officials were indicted for corruption.
Defamation and public humiliation are criminal offenses.  Reporters faced the threat of legal action under the liberal libel laws.
Migrant fishermen reported abuses by senior crewmembers, including beatings, withholding of food and water, retention of identity documents, wage deductions, and noncontractual compulsory sharing of vessel operational costs. These abuses were particularly prevalent in Taiwan’s large distant-waters fishing fleet, which operated without adequate oversight. Foreign workers were often reluctant to report employer abuses for fear the employer would terminate their contract, subjecting them to possible deportation and leaving them unable to pay off debts to recruiters.Foreign workers generally faced exploitation and incurred significant debt burdens during the recruitment process due to excessive brokerage fees, guarantee deposits, and high charges for flights and accommodations. Brokerage agencies often required workers to take out loans for “training” and other fees at local branches of Taiwan banks in their home countries at high interest rates, leaving workers vulnerable to debt bondage. NGOs suggested authorities should seek further international cooperation with labor-exporting countries, particularly on oversight of transnational labor brokers.Foreign fishermen were commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions. Fishermen working on Taiwan-flagged vessels operating beyond Taiwan’s territorial waters (the distant-waters fishing fleet) were not afforded the same labor rights, wages, insurance, and pensions as those recruited to work within Taiwan’s territorial waters.

Employers are subject to civil but not criminal charges when their employees are involved in fatal accidents due to unsafe working conditions.  In 2021, 18.9 percent identified violations,  primarily in sectors including wholesale and retail, logistics and transportation, accommodation, and food services.
Employers, however, reportedly used tactics such as increasing the number of workers employed so the 50 percent threshold could not be met. Trade unions also reported the use of antiunion tactics to intimidate workers and activists. The right to strike remained highly restricted. Teachers, civil servants, and defense industry employees do not have the right to strike. Workers in industries such as utilities, hospital services, and telecommunication-service providers are allowed to strike only if they maintain basic services during the strike. Authorities may prohibit, limit, or break up a strike during a disaster.

 A rise in the number of reports of child sexual exploitation cases from 1,060 in 2018 to 1,879 in 2021. NGOs raised concerns about online sexual exploitation of children: they reported sex offenders increasingly used cell phones, web cameras, live streaming, apps, and other new technologies to deceive and coerce underage girls and boys into sexual activity. The NGOs called for increased prosecutions and heavier penalties. Reporting of child sexual exploitation online to the Ministry of Health and Welfare increased steadily in recent years
 Many survivors did not report rape for fear of social stigmatization, and NGOs and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police. Some abused women chose not to report incidents to police due to social pressure not to disgrace their families.  Number of cases of sexual harassment 41 percent increase over the previous year.
 Taiwan journalists reported difficulty publishing content critical of the PRC, alleging that PRC authorities had pressured Taiwan businesses with operations in the PRC...
 

Dr. Joseph Nye ( a former dean of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, and a former assistant secretary of defense,  a deputy assistant secretary of state ) said in a speech under the theme of "Taiwan's Soft Power" at Dec. 8, 2010 that :“The answer is as long as Taiwan stands for democracy and human rights, that will be impossible ( the Americans make a deal and sell out Taiwan forsomething that they want from China) in American political culture.

    

New York Times, 2023-1-5: The Nuclear waste dump on Lanyu island created a generation of indigenous activists. "The government deceived us" the pastor said , "They didn't care that the nuclear waste would kill us, that the Tao people would go extinct".  Despite the government's repeated promises to relocate the site, the dump remains. Now, some residents run inns and restaurants on Lanyu. the focus these days is on tourism

 

 Global Times, 2022-12-19: There are forces on the island who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people...

persecution in 1947 (228 Massacre)

persecution in today's Taiwan

Public Radio International (USA),  The World.org,  2023-3-1

from the perspective of Chiang Kai-Shek, this was an insurrection. And these had been common in mainland China under the [Republic of China] dating back for decades…so it was quite typical to dispatch the military and put down what they perceived to be a rebellion. In a so-called democratic country, Taiwan's political leaders still have Chiang Kai-Shek's mindset, still turn a blind eye to, or still commit crime - political persecutions ... should be unforgivable !   They're making an insurrection !?

 

 Taipei Times, 2023-1-14: There are also domestic issues of concern to human rights advocates. Migrant workers in domestic services, fishing, farming, manufacturing, food processing and construction continue to be subjected to unfair conditions. While amendments have sought to increase pay, supervise treatment of workers on distant-water fishing vessels and improve living conditions at factories, wages for migrant workers remain lower than the minimum wage. Live-in caregivers are also frequently denied appropriate leave, while there are reports of abuse and unfair restrictions. Taiwan was “already among a very, very small number of countries in the world that still retain the death penalty, and the arguments that are time and again repeated by the government are far from convincing.” Taiwan also continues to prosecute people accused of defamation in criminal court. The US Department of State said in its 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices last year that “under the law, those [in Taiwan] who commit slander or libel by ‘pointing out or disseminating a fact which will injure the reputation of another’ are subject to a sentence of up to two years or a fine.”  taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2023/01/14/2003792561

 

 US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 (state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/):

Worker Rights
n
Large enterprises frequently made it difficult for employees to organize an enterprise union through methods such as blacklisting union organizers from promotion or relocating them to other work divisions. These methods were particularly common in the technology sector.
nThere was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV or AIDS
n
Forced labor occurred primarily in sectors reliant on migrant workers, including domestic service, fishing, farming, manufacturing, meat processing, and construction.
Child prostitutes
nThe Control Yuan reported in August that its analysis of official statistics from 2005-20 showed the number of male victims of child sexual exploitation was increasing and that male and female minors of indigenous heritage were targeted at higher rates than those of other ethnic groups.
nThe Taiwan High Prosecutor’s Office reported a rise in child sexual exploitation cases in 2018, 2019, and 2020, with 1,060, 1,211, and 1,691 indictments, respectively.
nNGOs raised concerns about the online sexual exploitation of children and reported sex offenders increasingly used cell phones, web cameras, live streaming, apps, and other new technologies to deceive and coerce underage girls and boys into sexual activity; the NGOs called for increased prosecutions and heavier penalties.
Corruption
nIn 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.
n13 high-ranking officials, 79 mid-level, 93 low-level, and 18 elected officials were indicted for corruption.
Freedom of speech
nCTi News was forced off the air after the National Communications Commission declined to renew its broadcast license. Opposition politicians and some academics and commentators claimed the decision was politically motivated retaliation for CTi News’ criticism of the ruling party.
n Reporters faced online bullying and the threat of legal action, particularly under the liberal libel laws. These provisions allow the subjects of unfavorable press coverage to press criminal and civil charges directly against journalists and media outlets for defamation.

Foreign laborers
nForced labor occurred primarily in sectors reliant on migrant workers, including domestic service, fishing, farming, manufacturing, meat processing, and construction. Foreign workers were often reluctant to report employer abuses for fear the employer would terminate their contract, subjecting them to possible deportation and leaving them unable to pay off debts to recruiters
nMigrant fishermen reported abuses by senior crewmembers, including beatings, withholding of food and water, retention of identity documents, wage deductions, and noncontractual compulsory sharing of vessel operational costs to retain their labor. These abuses were particularly prevalent in Taiwan’s large distant-waters fishing fleet, which operated without adequate oversight.
nForeign workers were often reluctant to report employer abuses for fear the employer would terminate their contract, subjecting them to possible deportation and leaving them unable to pay off debts to recruiters.
nForeign fishermen were commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions. NGOs reported that foreign fishing crews in the distant-waters fishing fleet generally received wages below the required minimum...
nAuthorities estimated that more than 53,000 migrant workers were concentrated in the domestic work and manufacturing sectors. NGOs reported that some migrant workers legally employed as domestic workers were in fact informally employed outside the home...

♣  PS: Taiwan has persecution cases which has not been included in US Human Rights report

 

 justsecurity.org, Focus Taiwan, Taipei Times, etc, 2022-5-13: Invited by Taiwan's government, an international human rights experts panel conducted a five-day review from May 9-13 in Taipei of the country's implementation of two United Nations' human rights-related covenants, namely the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
nfreedom of speech and of peaceful protest continues to be unduly restricted.

n The panel's report also highlighted the absence of legislation to curb torture and discrimination in Taiwan.   “The information provided by the government clearly shows that there are many allegations of torture against law enforcement officials in Taiwan,” the report said, adding that those cases only led to disciplinary action instead of criminal prosecution.  The nation has yet to make incorporate torture — the crime of inflicting severe mental or physical pain or suffering on a powerless person for a particular purpose as defined in international law — into its Criminal Code

nThe human rights panel experts are critiquing Taiwan's record on issues such as the death penalty, torture, gender equality, broader forms of discrimination, the status of indigenous peoples, and the rights of migrant domestic workers (especially given the greater burdens on caregivers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic).

nThe Concluding Observations and Recommendations of the international review committee underlined the importance of Taiwan completing its process of incorporating key norms into its domestic law, by adding the three conventions – the Convention Against Torture, the Convention on Migrant Workers, and the Convention on Enforced Disappearances. The committee also reiterated the need to explicitly prohibit torture in Taiwan’s criminal code.  The review committee also urged Taiwan to issue a declaration (pursuant to Article 12 of the Rome Statute) recognizing the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

n international panel experts called on Taiwan to end the “cruel and degrading” practice of capital punishment.  The nine-member group said it was "extremely disappointed" at the failure of Taiwan's government to address the issue"Taiwan is already among a very, very small number of countries in the world that still retain the death penalty, and the arguments that are time and again, repeated by the government, are far from convincing,"  experts said the "cruel, inhuman and degrading" punishment was in violation of ICCPR's Article 6 and 7.

nTaiwan’s failure thus far to incorporate the Convention on Migrant Workers or to adopt a domestic workers protection law is of additional concern given the vulnerability of these workers — many of them women who provide crucial long-term services to the elderly and disabled — to adverse, discriminatory measures related to the pandemic. Their precariousness is further underlined by their low pay, lack of union representation, and the subordination of their bargaining power to the interests of the governments of their home countries because of Taiwan’s reliance on a Philippines-style labor-export model.
 

Many of these workers are identifiable as observant Muslims because of their dress, and are of Southeast Asian (primarily Indonesian, Filipino, Malaysian, and Vietnamese) origin, which differentiates them from most of the population in Taiwan and could make them susceptible to forms of discrimination that are not regulated – hence the need to incorporate the convention’s terms into law. The committee also noted the need to bring migrant workers within the protections of Taiwan’s overall system of labor regulation and received multiple reports regarding limitations on migrant workers’ rights to change employment, to obtain permanent residency, and bars to the migration of family members, resulting in the induced separation of families. The committee also noted its concerns regarding widespread reports of abuses against the conditions of labor for fisheries workers. Many of these are also migrants.

In 2017, another international human rights experts review panel ( Philip Alston, law professor at New York University; Eibe Riedel, former member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Jerome Cohen, law professor at New York University; and Nisuke Ando, professor emeritus at Kyoto University, etc. )  conclusively advised Taiwan legislating a new law against torture and other cruelties.  
Till middle Jun. 2022, Taiwan just turned a deaf ear to them. 

eprints.soas.ac.uk/24511/1/Caldwell_The%20Control%20Yuan%20and%20Human%20Rights%20in%20Taiwan.pdf: Taiwan would still lack a NHRI that complies with the Paris Principles. The Control Yuan would still be subject to the negative effects of the semi-presidential system that could severely limit its ability to effectively protect human rights. The highly volatile political climate, and the way in which party politics play out within Taiwan’s semi-presidential system, have the potential to seriously impede the Control Yuan’s functionality.

 China Times (中時), editorial, 2022-12-22: Taiwan's government has been practicing authoritarianism, the investigation and  prosecutors are under DPP admin.'s orders and wantonly violate human rights. (對內實施威權,檢調對黨政機關俯首聽命,肆意侵犯人權)   chinatimes.com/opinion/20221221004829-262101?chdtv

 

 

  "Green Terror" in Taiwan

People's Daily (10-15-2020, commentary, Chinese version ) Taiwan intel. strictly monitors Taiwanese people  tw.people.com.cn/n1/2020/1015/c14657-31892263.html  站在历史正确的一边——告台湾情治部门书--台湾频道--人民网 (people.com.cn)   

Global Times, 2022-8-11: under the guise of "democracy", the DPP authorities are practicing "green terror". 

Global Times, 12-9-2020: Chiu Yi , a former "lawmaker" in Taiwan and a scholar, said his family members have also been impacted.,Chiu Yi - Wikipedia   
United Daily (聯合報), editorial,

:  We still remember these even you coverWhite Terrorwith "Green Terror"
 city.udn.com/66943/5739252?tpno=36&raid=5739527&cate_no=0   https://udn.com/news/story/7338/2886710?from=udn-catelistnews_ch2

 

 

 

 "White Terror" returns

Apple Daily (蘋果日報), headline, 12-9-2017:  Taiwan's opposition party vice presidential candidate, National Taiwan University professor Lin Ruey-Shiung, was subject to electromagnetic wave attacks (French AFP , Dec. 1, 2011 , Thailand's Bangkok Post,  Dec. 3, 2011, Yahoo UK & Ireland, etc. )  Lin Ruey-shiung - Wikipedia   FTV News (民視  晨新聞) Jan 10, 2012, Lin Ruey-Shiung (林瑞雄):  It's more terrifying than "White Terror" ( 比白色恐怖更恐怖)

United Daily (聯合報),  editorial,

: The means current Taiwanese government using to abuse human rights is as bad as Chiang Kai-shek's authoritarian regime   ( 蔡政府卻不斷踐踏人權 ,手段較之他們指責的威權時期毫不遜色) udn.com/news/story/7338/6364498   
United Daily (聯合報),  editorial,
 :
 More people suffered fear from invisible and delicate social control and threats by government's flank and judiciary (prosecutor, police) ...which is worse than Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese Nationalist Party (綠營政客上行下效養網軍,逼死公務員毫無愧意。政府利用側翼進行社會控制,再加上檢警司法恐嚇,相比蔣家統治的線民監控,更細膩無形;比起動用軍警滿手血腥,操弄網軍迫人社會死亡讓更多百姓畏懼)  udn.com/news/story/11091/6060260?from=udn_ch2cate6643sub11091_pulldownmenu_v2   
The China Times, Taiwan, 2022-2-20: Taiwan's White Terror returns (重返白色恐怖) chinatimes.com/newspapers/20220220000963-260109?chdtv
The China Times (中國時報), 1-6-2021:  the human rights protected by the Constitution has been in danger for a long time...
United Daily (聯合報),  editorial, 2017-12-27, 2017-12-21 :  "state violence" and "White Terror" return   (台灣許多作為 屬「國家暴力」(「白色恐怖」為其產品 )重現).../ ref to https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2897025
United Daily, editorial, 2022-5-4: arbitrarily restricting civil rights in the name of national security is like "authoritarian" in those anti-Communist days returning to today's Taiwan.
Liberty Times (自由時報) 2012-4-21 : The human rights issue in Taiwan is still riddled with gaping wounds / already ailing (人權問題在台灣實際上仍是「千瘡百孔」)
Apple Daily (蘋果日報  論壇), Feb 18, 2008 : urge president to publicize numerous human rights persecutions and political
dark truths  (呼籲總統應公開無數政治黑幕, 及人權迫害真相)
Min-Sen Daily (民生報), July 17, 1995: Everyonein Taiwan could be transparent victims (隱私權迭受侵犯 ,你我都可能成為透明人)

 

 

  High Tech, Terror  in Taiwan  


  only on my sites

 

   

 

 

★  Amnesty International, June, 2021

amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/English.pdf

amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/east-asia/taiwan/report-taiwan/

The government took several measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, some of which threatened the right to privacy. Amendments to the Prison Act failed to address concerns about rights of people on death row with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities. In August, a National Human Rights Commission was established. In October, the International Review Committee received reports from international organizations ahead of its review of Taiwan’s implementation of the ICCPR and the ICESCR.

  Mass surveillance  /   In January, the government introduced a series of measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, some of which threatened the right to privacy. The government established a digital framework of mass surveillance and connected government databases, such as travel and health insurance records, for the purposes of tracking and tracing. Over 35 government departments were able to constantly monitor people’s movement and other activities, including the purchase of surgical masks, through this platform. The government provided few details about its use of the platform, nor specified when the data collection measures would end.
  Death penalty  / 
Amendments to the Prison Act in January resulted in changes to the Regulations for the Execution of the Death Penalty in July. The amended regulations still allowed death sentences for individuals with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities.2 The authorities made no progress towards abolition during the year and continued to carry out executions

 

     United Daily, editorial, 2022-6-5: Since DPP winning legislative majority for the first time in 2016,  Taiwan's government kept abusing human rights, including suppressing freedom of expression, or restricting personal freedom in the name of national security, the means they took are no less than the authoritarian period they accused.  udn.com/news/story/7338/6364498?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

 

   ★  World Journal, USA, 12-6-2020 (largest Chinese news in the US)  www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121475/5070213

 Transitional Justice Committee Taiwan: human rights persecution and infringement by officials in power are anywhere and anytime - in the past, now, and most likely in the future...

 

 

 Global Times (globaltimes.cn/content/1209528.shtml), 12-9-2020: Taiwan authority ‘persecutes mainlanders, pro-reunification activists' by 'Political persecution, framing charge' 

    

 

 

 

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Microsoft Bing , 2021-5-17, 11-08-2020, 8-2-2020; No.3 at 2022-3-1; No.4 at 2022-6-5; No.2 at 2021-5-9
No.2 "Taiwan human rights abuse" on Bing, 2022-6-5;No.3"Taiwan's human rights", 2022-6-5
 

 

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Yahoo Taiwan, 2021-5-17, 11-08-2020; No.2 at 2021-5-9

 

 

 

 

Taiwan reviews  /  The ROC on Taiwan, has its own constitution, independently elected president and military forces, However, Taiwan's image was tarnished or damaged for having benefits by any means, and having principal human rights problems, including:

Ethics of Taiwan politicians :  New Yorker (2022-11-21):  When the Chinese test-fired the ballistic missiles, Tsai Ing-wen didn’t tell the public that they flew over the island; that became known only after it was announced by Japanese leaders. When a Chinese drone flew into Taiwan's airspace, Tsai Ing-wen's government reacted with similar reserve... the government looks like it doesn't know what it's doing,” al jazeera, 2022-5-30:  Taiwan legislature erupts in violence over "secret expenses" billKMT lawmakers try to block bill they say could be used to overturn ex-President Chen Shui-bian’s corruption conviction    Guardian, 2021-7-12: China accused Taiwan has rejected China's offers as fake altruism. ... putting politics above its people   United Daily, 3-11-2021, editorial: smear, fragmentation, low dirty means ... Pan Green's propaganda campaign already beyond the critical point of morality. udn.com/news/story/7338/5309442  China Times, 3-12-2021: Ruling party ignoring bottom line of morality is grief of the country.  The Liberty Times, editorial (7-21-2020) reports only 2.3% Taiwanese politicians are trustworthy and have professional ethics, according to a survey half year ago,  56% Taiwanese note elected representatives (lawmakers, councilman, etc) care their own interest, only 9.3% think they care "national interest".  Washington Post (7-22-2020) reports:  In a major speech in January 2019, Xi (Chinese president) offered an ultimatum to Taiwan to come to the table for unification talks or face annexation by force.   However, Taiwan's government was tight-lipped about this ultimatum, so that even famous commentator and analyst  know nothing about it, otherwise pro-Independence Tsai I. W. may not easily continue in presidential office in Jan. 2020, because, according to National Interest (6-16-2020): more than 60.3 percent of the respondents opposed Taiwan's independence if it is followed by China’s military invasion...   Taiwanese personality

●  democracy : Economist, 2022-11-29: many Taiwanese are tired of squabbles over national identity, especially after Ms Tsai’s refusal last year to accept an offer of much-needed vaccines from China ... Wall Street Journal, 2022-11-28: Taiwan Ruling Party's election drubbing could ease tension with China and persuade Chinese leaders that they can peacefully influence politics there.   US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :  In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.    al jazeera, 2022-5-30: Taiwan legislature erupts in violence over "secret expenses" billKMT lawmakers try to block bill they say could be used to overturn ex-President Chen Shui-bian’s corruption conviction. United Daily(聯合報) , 2022-5-9, editorial:  Taiwan's news reports seem to be free, but in recent years, the speech market has tended to be "Homogeneity" (單一化); particularly, the state apparatus controls the media very deeply USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties (KMT and DPP) in Presidential election.  Economist EIU Democracy Index 2019 shows Taiwan is "Flawed democracy", overall score is lower than 2015's and 2016's, the scores of "political culture", "political participation" are low (5.63, 6.11).  <DW> of Germany (Chinese edition, 12-25-2020) and <RFI> of France (Chinese edition, 12-27-2020) both quoted <Yazhou Zhoukan > (亞洲周刊) criticizing Taiwan's new democratic authoritarianism.  N.Y. Times  12-3-2019:  soft underbelly of Taiwanese politics: patronage networks.  they continue to allow community leaders, farmers’ associations and even organized-crime figures to buy votes.  New York Times, 1-11-2020: Taiwan’s young and vibrant, if messy at times, democratic society.  <China Times> 2-26-2020, editorial: more and more uncontrolled admin. power and withered legislative power, freedom of speech was suppressed by admin. and judicial power at all levels, ...as for political culture, partisan, stand and ideology matter.  <Foreign Policy>, 2015: Taiwan politics belongs to mega-corporations (not the people) and is controlled by the political parties.  Apple Daily, editorial, 12-14-2019: Taiwan gov. shows authoritarianism political culture, ignoring and being hostile to those critics.   Apple Daily, editorial, 12-7-2019:  in this bad election morality age, Taiwan president becomes a low threshold, min. qualification criteria position, and a laughingstock.  <UDN> editorial,12-6-2018: Taiwan's democracy exists in name only ...;  <United Daily News>, editorial opinion, 6-23-2019The operation of democracy usually strays off most public-opinions, big-data became a sharp-weapon for politicians to manipulate the will of the people ... fail to solve the adverse situation of reversing democracy;   <United Daily News>, Opinion, 3-7-2017 Now it seems hard to keep Taiwan's skin-deep democracy ... the people's "livelihood" was sacrificed for politics ... <United Daily> editorial 1-8-2020, <UDN> editorial (聯合報社論) 11-14-2019/Taiwan's democracy turns into grave (民主設計的良意,如今變成私欲墳場 https://udn.com/news/story/11321/4163629)  democracy & freedom

 freedom of speech  : US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2023-3-20 : Reporters faced the threat of legal action under the liberal libel laws.  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 : CTi News was forced off the air after the National Communications Commission declined to renew its broadcast license. Opposition politicians and some academics and commentators claimed the decision was politically motivated retaliation for CTi News’ criticism of the ruling party.   RSF, <Reporters Sans Frontieres>, France, 2022-5-3: Taiwan's press freedom situation has been "impaired" by some "serious problems".   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: Opposition politicians and some media outlets criticized these provisions (a new law criminalized receiving direction or funding from prohibited Chinese sources to conduct political activities) as overly broad and potentially detrimental to freedom of expression, including for the press. Opposition politicians and some academics and commentators claimed NCC’s decision not to renew the license was politically motivated retaliation for CTi News’ criticism of the ruling party.   Global Times, 2021-3-29 : Taiwan DPP's dark "online army" underbelly in misinformation campaign ,  the DPP's "online army" which manipulated and meddled in an online public opinion field of more than 20 million people on the island.   "The DPP can collude with social media such as PTT, Facebook, print media, electronic media, and TV programs".    globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219763.shtml   ●  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements. Oxford university (UK) Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Only 24% Taiwanese trust in local news which remains one of the lowest in Oxford survey.  < Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, France) , 4-18-2019:  Taiwan’s journalists are suffering from a very polarized media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit. Although President Tsai Ing-wen has said she wants to continue developing press freedom in Taiwan, few concrete measures have been taken to improve journalists’ editorial independence and encourage media to raise the quality of the public debate. Beijing is exploiting this weakness by putting pressure on Taiwanese media owners, who often have business interests on the mainland. ●  China Times, editorial <中時社論> , 3-9-2020: Political power forms threats (penalty fine and suspending the license) to certain media ... Secretly bullying by (gov.-related) cyber force.  Apple Daily 12-4-2019 editorial : All political parties and many politicians found cyber-forces who are mean, base, cruel and dark to destroy target's image and reputation by secretly ways, without moral bottom line ...  UDN 12-7-2019 editorial: The number of fake news spread by Pan-Green coalition (ruling party) is far more (and more vile) than that sent by ordinary people    Apple Daily 3-29-2019 editorial opinion: Democracy & Freedom of speech is the bottom line which should never be lost, the government should not create chilling effect by fishing in trouble water.   The China Times 12-14-2019 editorial : the gov. seriously harmed free speech by investigating those messages shared or published on the net by the masses    The China Times 3-29-2019 headline news:  Democracy on the surface, anti-democracy to the bone is not allowed.  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019: the impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, self-censorship continued. N.Y. Times  12-3-2019:  Social media platforms are another key battleground (Chn-TW): Nearly 90 percent of Taiwan’s population is active on them, and traditional news outlets have been known to republish fake posts without fact-checking. According to Reuters, Chinese government agencies have paid Taiwanese news outlets to publish pro-Beijing content freedom of speech

 Family  New York times, Pew Research Institute, 2021-11-28:  unlike most other countries put family first, Taiwanese ranked Material well-being above family.  Marry for money not love

 

●  justice  National ChungCheng University (ccu.edu),   2023-2-13: study found the percentage of Taiwanese trust in the judges is 32.8%.  National ChungCheng University, 2022-2-14: study found 2/3 Taiwanese are not satisfied with the quality of judgment of criminal cases   United Daily, editorial , 2022-1-25 : More people suffered fear from invisible and delicate social control and threats by DPP government' flank and judiciary (prosecutor, police) ...   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: Some political commentators and academics, however, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Some political commentators and academics,  publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases. US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019 pointed out that justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians (in <Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government> section), ...   The United Daily, 1-6-2020, editorial:  Taiwanese don't trust law-enforcement because of government abusing power and playing with the law.   : ● The United Daily, Focus, 11-30-2019:  The prosecutors  and Taiwan's 'FBI' were questioned a lot for years for their political investigations and conducts ...in recent years, the judiciary giving services to DPP almost became a routine...:  UDN 10-20-2019: politics overrode justice   The Liberty Times,  head-line news, 3-16-2019: Taiwan PM is not satisfied with Judicial reform    The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018:   Taiwan P.M. (賴清德):  Taiwan has not made significant progress on judicial reform, which is roiling with public discontent;    <The United Daily>,  06-18-2016, head page news: Taiwan's prosecutors admit usually following order to conclude legal cases.   <USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices>, 2016-2018,  public trust on Taiwan's judiciary system keeps falling down.  <United Daily>, opinion column, 12-16-2017:  Taiwan's public voice with a heavy heart  : The prosecutors should abide by the law too... don't be a political tool.    judiciary

 

 corruption 
TaiwanPlus, 2023-3-6:

  Voice of America, 2022-11-23:  "black gold"-"heijin." Corruption in Local Politics   Avios, 2022-6-28: Scandals and corruption have plagued the Taiwanese armed forces  Economist, 2022-8-2: Taiwan needs to do more to combat corruption and waste in its armed forces   US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12 :13 high-ranking officials, 79 mid-level, 93 low-level, and 18 elected officials were indicted for corruption.  the Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Yuan referred six officials to the Control Yuan for criminal investigation, including former minister of justice Tseng Yung-fu, former prosecutor general Wu Ying-chao, and two others for investigation of noncriminal misconduct... In 2020 presidential and legislative elections, President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election,...there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties.  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  Significant human rights issues included: the existence of criminal libel laws and serious acts of corruption.   Transparency International 1-29-2019: Taiwan has stagnated in the Corruption Perspective Index rankings since 2011 with its score 61~63 (dropped 2 spots this year), in contrast, South Korea improved by 3 points in 2017.  China Times, editorial , 2022-6-1,  "The whole DPP party backups corruption, a shame of Taiwan's democracy": When the corruption scandal broke out in 2008, all DPP members gave ex-President Chen Shui-bian a cold shoulder, Chen's daughter 陳幸妤 was mad and shouted"Has anyone in DPP not taken money from my father ?? ", which shocked all fields, therefore, pan-Green Coalition has been involved in Chen's case.(綠營因此遭扁綁架事出有因) In platform presentation at 12-25-2019, Nationalist Party Presidential candidate Han criticized President Tsai has allowed top officials around grow very corrupt, Tsai refuted KMT was more serious, People First Party candidate Song said that speaking of corruption and unfair judiciary, KMT and DPP are about the same.   Apple Daily (12-7-2018) editorial :  Taiwan's corruption is off the charts by collusions between government officials and business owners,  furthermore, Taiwan's underworld going wild to assist government officials, business and some elected representatives (e.g., legislators) in corruption has been ahead of most corrupt countries, e.g., China, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Vietnam, the stinky rotten food-chain crossing pan-Blue (Nationalist, KMT) and pan-Green (DPP) resurges after Taiwan's elections...  Liberty Times, 1-12-2020, editorial: The administration's rottenness (腐壞氣息) smells already.   corruption

●  medical  :   Taiwan ranks No. 249 in World's Best Hospitals by Newsweek and Statista in 2023   Bloomberg's CovID ranking: Taiwan's 3-month case-fatality rate ranks the last twice in 2021  Lancet / Measuring universal health coverage  Taiwan is behind countries of  Asia& Pacific like Japan, Singapore, S. Korea, Australia, NZ, Kuwait, Qatar    Taiwan's hospitals were not included in Newsweek's "World's Best Hospitals" in 2020 and 2021   Guardian (UK), 2022-5-9: The death of a two-year-old boy last month highlighted communication failures exacerbated by Taiwan’s entrenched bureaucracy.   al jazeera, 2022-5-30: The fatalities have notably included the sudden deaths of several very young children, which many Taiwanese attribute to failures of the healthcare system.     China Times, editorial, 2021-9-8: The government ignores human lives of high-risk older populations.  Using vaccine to draw votes is "cold-blood", "losing their souls "  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210907005525-262101?chdtv   United Daily, editorial, 2021-9-4: Taiwan's vaccination policy is based upon government's selfishness and special purpose. National Taiwan University professor, King ChwanChuen2021-9-1: CDC should not turn into a election campaign center.  UDN 2021-5-31, editorial: Taiwan's government fails to purchase enough CovID-19 vaccines, and stop civil org. to purchase from the west for saving its political face.  Till end May, patients are not easy to apply for and have CovID-19 medicine, which cause more deaths, Taiwan cares money more than human lives   hospitals,   CovID19

 pirate USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  some indigenous rights advocates argued a large amount of indigenous land was seized and privatized decades ago, depriving indigenous communities of the right to participate in the development of these traditional territories.  Green Peace, 5-2-2019:  It remains our view that Taiwanese fisheries still have many serious problems, both environmental and social, and that the need for reform is clear and urgent.    Lowy Institute & <the interpreter>, 5-2-2019: Taiwan ...illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing... Taiwan has so far refused to adopt the Work in Fishing Convention.   EU warned in 2015 Taiwan with a yellow card for illegal fishing till  6 '19  US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019:   fishermen working on Taiwan-flagged and -owned fishing vessels experience non- or under-payment of wages, long working hours, physical abuse, lack of food or medical care, denial of sleep, and poor living conditions while indebted to complex, multinational brokerage networks. Migrant fishermen have reported senior crewmembers employ such coercive tactics as threats of physical violence, beatings, withholding of food and water, and pay deductions to retain their labor.     Freedom House, June 2019:  labor advocates report poor implementation, citing ongoing mistreatment and abuse of foreign fishermen on Taiwanese vessels.

 
 privacy●  The China Times (中時) , editorial , 2023-5-23: 23 millions of Taiwanese household administration data and 28 millions of labor insurance data have been leaked and were sold to fraud groups - all personal data of Taiwanese were sold out, Taiwan government looked the other way as its citizens were in fraud for leakage of their personal data   US Naval Institute   , May, 2022 : Taiwan has extensive networks of closed-circuit TV cameras, and issued a national health insurance smartcard that tracks medical histories. Amnesty International, June, 2021 :The government took several measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, some of which threatened the right to privacy.    People's Daily, 10-15-2020, commentary: Taiwan's Intelligence strictly monitors its own people, which is called "Green Terror".  The China Times (中國時報), 1-6-2021:  the human rights protected by the Constitution has been in danger for a long time... The government had not admitted the "skynet - electronic fence" until law-makers questioned them a number of times...  New York Post  4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals CovID with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.". Apple Daily 11-10-2020: Taiwanese health & medical data/information was forced without agreement of the party to be opened on purpose of business and academic use.  The United Daily News (聯合報) , editorial, 3-31-2019 Taiwan is a backward country on personal-data protection.   Taiwan plans to sell general public's personal data and digital human rights (e.g., people's medical health data without giving any notice ), peep at whatever on the net , and even monitor all the citizens,  nothing people would normally notice ...   (brief https://udn.com/news/story/7338/3728815) ;  EU General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR was given to effect at 5-25-2018, Taiwan is far behind, even is going in an opposite way  / Apple Daily 蘋果日報, 5-28-2018,  National Taiwan University Law School professor 林鈺雄    privacy


 
secret police  Law maker (2023-6-2): What an authoritarian era in Taiwan ? (「這是什麼威權時代嗎」) /  Dr. Su Hung-dah (蘇宏達), dean of the College of Social Sciences, National Taiwan University, reveals he was threatened by National Security Bureau ( state machine ) that "we can watch your LINE" (a popular online app. )   USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  Members of the security forces committed some abuses.    The United Daily News, editorial opinion (9-19-2018) : "secret police" (「東廠們」) have been active around us ...   The Liberty Times, head-page, The China Times, head-page, 12-8-2018:   Taiwan P.M. (賴清德): "Secret Police event" (「東廠事件」) has seriously damaged public trust on the government...;   Apple Daily 12-4-2019 editorial : All political parties and many politicians found their cyber-forces to secretly attack targets... ,  the