Taiwanese human rights   ★   The state machine has been monitoring the whole population
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★ Taiwan's Human Rights by world reports
    


pic.: No.1 "Taiwan human rights" on Yandex of Russia, 2025-11-9, 2025-7-17, 2025-2-28, 2025-2-4, 2025-1-20, 2024-9-19, 2024-3-17, 2024-2-1, 2023-12-14, 2023-8-30
  No.1 "human rights in Taiwan" on Yandex of Russia, 2025-2-28, 2025-2-4

　

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Yandex of Russia , 2025-11-9,  2025-7-17, 2025-2-28, 2025-2-4, 2025-1-20, 2024-9-19,2024-2-1, 2023-8-30; No.2 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Yandex, 2024-3-17, 2023-12-14
No.1 "comment Taiwan human rights" on Yandex, 2025-1-20

　

　

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.” However, things are changing.  The Hill, 2025-11-12: the potency of the human rights weapon in the West's arsenal, Trump, until now, has ignored that...and discarded the very instruments.  LA times, 2025-4-5, 3-19: The focus has shifted away from shared values ​​such as democracy, human rights, and freedom.

The Guardian 2025-2-21: The US (Trump government) is signalling that it is excising liberal democratic values from its foreign policy calculations – opening up the possibility that US support for Taiwan may become divorced from any inherent value ascribed to Taiwan as a democracy worth preserving for its own sake.”

　

★  Jurist.org (USA), 2025-12-11 : Human rights groups launched a petition opposing draft legislation that would eliminate parole eligibility for individuals convicted of murder, attempted murder, or child abuse resulting in death.  They argued that the reform is not evidence-based and lacks sufficient human rights impact assessments.   The question is whether Taiwan is marching towards a community that genuinely protects its members, or one that instead undermines human rights more by granting the state the power to classify, isolate, and permanently exclude certain individuals from the community. In the meantime, we need to be careful not to fall into a trap of “populist punitiveness,” in which the urge to punish overrides empirical evidence and crowds out alternative approaches to better solve the deeper social issues behind crimes. jurist.org/news/2025/12/taiwan-dispatch-human-rights-groups-oppose-draft-legislation-eliminating-parole-for-violent-offenders/

　

★  Country Reports on Human Rights Practices  - Taiwan , 2025-8-13 : Large enterprises frequently made it difficult for employees to organize an enterprise union; they used methods such as blacklisting union organizers from promotion or relocating them to other divisions. These methods were most common in the technology sector. The minimum wage did not cover certain workers, such as management employees, medical doctors and other health-care workers, gardeners, bodyguards, self-employed lawyers, civil servants, and domestic household workers. white-collar workers also faced overtime violations. The most common violation was urging employees to accept extra leave time instead of overtime pay. The law did not provide for granting asylum or refugee status, and authorities had no system for providing protection to refugees.

Migrant fishermen on vessels operating outside Taiwan's territorial seas had a lower minimum wage. NGOs reported that due to the absence of work hour regulations, the actual pay of foreign household workers fell below the national minimum wage. Wage and overtime violations were most common in the manufacturing, domestic car, and fisheries sectors employing migrant laborers; however, white-collar workers also faced overtime violations. The most common violation was urging employees to accept extra leave time instead of overtime pay.  foreign workers were often reluctant to report employer abuses due to fear the employer would terminate their contract. Workers also struggled with accessing the hotline while at sea. Migrant fishermen were commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions.  estimated more than 87,575 migrant workers were not in touch with their legal employers and likely remained informally employed elsewhere, not enjoying applicable labor protections. Studies suggested employment of such undocumented migrant workers was concentrated in the domestic work and manufacturing sectors. state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/      The Guardian, 2025-8-13:  State department softens human rights criticisms of Trump-allied countries  CNN, 2025-8-13: This report For some countries whose leaders are political allies of the Trump administration, there was far less criticism and detail about reports of their human rights abuses.

　

★  2025 Trafficking in Persons Report: Taiwan (state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/taiwan ) :  Taiwan authorities investigated fewer cases, prosecuted fewer suspects, and did not fully implement victim identification procedures, complicating some victims' access to justice and protective care.  Human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Taiwan, and traffickers exploit victims from Taiwan abroad. Traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and they subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone applications, livestreaming, and other online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement. Traffickers lure women from China and Southeast Asian countries to Taiwan through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment offers for purposes of sex trafficking.  Many trafficking victims are migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and, to a lesser extent, China, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai nationals continue to represent most foreign sex trafficking and forced labor victims in Taiwan.  Some foreign workers incur substantial debts, which brokers or employers use as tools of coercion to force workers into debt bondage. Some traffickers use Indonesian-owned stores in Taiwan as illegal remittance channels, confining Indonesian workers and subjecting them to sex trafficking. Traffickers reportedly take advantage of relaxed visa requirements under Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy” to lure Southeast Asian students and tourists to Taiwan and subject them to forced labor and sex trafficking. For-profit universities in Taiwan use third party recruitment agents to recruit foreign students – including from Indonesia, Eswatini, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Vietnam – to fill enrollment gaps and subsequently place them into exploitative labor conditions under the pretense of educational opportunities. Some students are unaware of the work component prior to arrival.  Taiwan victims have included individuals from indigenous ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and members of single-parent families, who were potentially more vulnerable to exploitation due to economic disadvantages.

　

♣   Xinhua (2025-3-27 english.news.cn/20250327/68af3428cc0d41bab628faf9a92941e2/c.html ):  A total of 75 scholars in China's Taiwan region have issued a joint statement condemning increased political persecution, online harassment and abuse of power by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, led by Lai Ching-te.   Taiwan-based United Daily News commented that Taiwan residents are increasingly experiencing an intimidating atmosphere in which they are being punished for their thoughts and speech -- a reality in sharp contradiction with the DPP's self-styled image of seeking democracy and freedom.
 ♣  China Daily, 2025-11-9: Main oppostion party, KMT's chair warned that under the current Democratic Progressive Party administration, the "specter of authoritarianism and suppression of freedom of speech" has resurfaced in Taiwan.
 ♣  China Daily (2025-11-19): More than 10,000 reports of persecution carried out by DPP ("Taiwan independence" henchmen and accomplices.) against Taiwan compatriots have been received since the launch of a dedicated reporting column, China says.
 ♣  People's Daily (2025-11-20): Some of Taiwan social media influencers have bullied and persecuted mainland spouses living in Taiwan as well as Taiwan residents who support peaceful cross-Straits relations, effectively acting as enforcers and accomplices for "Taiwan independence" forces... (brief)
　

　

★ Amnesty International, 2025-2-23: Amnesty calls for robust protection of human rights in the digital age  ──  Taiwan must address human rights concerns about the digitalization of government data and other aspects of the country's Internet governance, Amnesty International Taiwan and its partners will say in a joint statement to be presented to President Lai Ching-Te on 25 February. The Taiwanese government must ensure its approach to digital governance will allow human rights and the rule of law to continue to thrive in the country.   A crucial step would be to improve regulations on personal data protection by adopting and following sound privacy protection principles that give individuals consent over how their personal data is used and the right to retain control over it.

　

★ Country Reports on Human Rights Practices  - Taiwan , 2024-4-22  state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/taiwan/  :

n judges and prosecutors  /  Some political commentators and academics, however, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.

n elections  /  In the most recent presidential and legislative elections,  there were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties 。

n corruption  /  the mayor of Hsinchu was indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for suspected embezzlement .   During the year, 19 high-ranking officials, 41 mid-level, 114 low-level, and nine elected officials were indicted for corruption.

n sexual assaults  /  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.

n sexual harassment  /  Reports related to technology-facilitated gender-based violence continued to rise, five times higher than the same period in 2022。Sexual harassment was common. The Ministry reported a 17 percent increase over the previous year...  high-profile sexual harassment cases involving prominent politicians, cultural figures, and others.  Several high-ranking members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party resigned in connection with sexual harassment cases.

n rights of strike  /  Large enterprises frequently made it difficult for employees to organize an enterprise union; they used methods such as blacklisting union organizers from promotion or relocating them to other divisions. These methods were most common in the technology sector. The right to strike remained highly restricted. Teachers, civil servants, and defense industry employees did not have the right to strike. Workers in industries such as utilities, hospital services, and telecommunication service providers were allowed to strike only if they maintained basic services during the strike. Authorities could prohibit, limit, or break up a strike during a disaster. Workers were allowed to strike only in “adjustment” disputes such as compensation and working schedules, and only after mediation.

n  wage and overtime  /   Wage and overtime violations were most common in the manufacturing, domestic car, and fisheries sectors employing migrant laborers; however, white-collar workers also faced overtime violations. The most common violation was urging employees to accept extra leave time instead of overtime pay.  Employers were subject to civil but not criminal charges when their employees were involved in fatal accidents due to unsafe working conditions.

　

n sexual exploitation  /  NGOs reported sex offenders increasingly used cell phones, web cameras, live streaming, apps, and other technologies to deceive and coerce underage girls and boys into sexual activity. Although the amended Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act increased penalties, NGOs claimed additional manpower resources and funding were needed to effectively enforce the amended law. Online reporting of child sexual exploitation increased steadily in recent years, reflecting growing social rejection of the crime, according to expert reports.  There were reports of child sex trafficking.

n Women rights, discrimination  /  More than 60 percent of the respondents to a survey released in March by a media company on living conditions and expectations of Taiwanese women from 2020-2023 believed discrimination based on age, gender, race, and other factors, including bias against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, still occurred in their workplaces. Approximately 94 percent of the women respondents specified that age differences with colleagues and prejudice towards single women were key factors adding to workplace discrimination. According to official statistics, the median monthly income for women in 2022 was 84.2 percent that of men.   The authorities to investigate living conditions for the LGBTQI+ community found that members continued to experience discrimination from their families, places of work, and peer groups.

n reporters  /  Defamation and public humiliation were criminal offenses.  Reporters faced the threat of legal action under the liberal libel laws.  The Constitutional Court upheld the constitutionality of the law.  On July 21, an opposition party presidential campaign chief filed a criminal libel lawsuit against the president of Sanlih E-television and two of its reporters for alleging that the presidential nominee met with officials of another opposition party to discuss teaming up for the 2024 presidential election.  Taiwan journalists reported difficulty publishing content critical of the People's Republic of China (PRC), alleging that PRC authorities pressured Taiwan businesses with operations in the PRC.

n indigenous rights  /  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 their traditional territories.

n child abuse  /  Advocates also called attention to bullying, violence, and sexual assault cases at correctional institutions。

n mainland Chinese  /  The law allowed non-PRC-born foreign spouses of Taiwan passport holders to apply for Taiwan residency after three years, while PRC-born spouses were required to wait six years.

n foreign workers  /  Migrant fishermen on vessels operating outside Taiwan's territorial seas had a lower minimum wage.   Foreign workers were often reluctant to report employer abuses for fear the employer would terminate their contract. Workers also struggled with accessing the hotline while at sea.  Migrant fishermen were commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions. Fisheries Agency officers in six locations overseas and in some domestic ports monitored and inspected docked Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels, using a multilingual questionnaire to interview migrant fishermen and examine labor conditions onboard.

　

★ DW (Germany), 2024-4-24: Taiwan's long-awaited debate on the death penalty is considered a historic step that human rights groups believe will decide the future of capital punishment in Taiwan / 
　

Taiwan has breached its commitments  ─   Taiwan's death penalty "progress" in 10 years

　

◆ Reuters, US News, 2025-1-16:  Taiwan carries out first execution in 5 years, upsetting EU, human rights groups; though in recent years violent crime is relatively low.  In September, Taiwan's constitutional court ruled that the death penalty is constitutional but only for the most serious crimes with the most rigorous legal scrutiny; Taiwan's largest opposition party the Kuomintang voiced its support for capital punishment.
Amnesty International.:  "This execution is a shocking and brutal development" .
The Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty: "executions would "only make society more bloodthirsty".

　
till 2015  2024

★ <BBC> , <Amnesty International> UK , 2012-12-22

Amnesty International has condemned Taiwan's move as "cold-blooded killing".

The executions - by shooting - "made a mockery of the authorities' stated commitment to abolish the death penalty".  "It is abhorrent to justify taking someone's life because prisons are overcrowded or the public's alleged support for the death penalty".

　

★<Amnesty International>) 、 <European Parliament> ,   Dec. 23, 2012:  Taiwan has breached its commitments: EU

　

★ London-based Amnesty International organization ), 2015-6-5: a failure of political leadership


 ★ France (2012-12-6) has condemned the execution of six death-row inmates by Taiwan

　

★<BBC> (Chinese version),  4.30.2014, <Focus Taiwan>, 5.1.2014: ... human rights groups questioned Taiwan's execution this time with political purpose (shifts the focus on China's trade agreement, and nuclear factory issue).  

　

★  DW (Germany), 2024-4-24:

　

☉ tv.Guardian, DW video: Taiwan's claim to be a regional bastion of human rights is undermined by its retention of capital punishment, activists say.


 ☉ co-executive director of the Death Penalty Project :  "Taiwan has said for many years that they're on a road to abolition,"  "But my question is, is that road too long politically and that not enough progress has been made politically to move away from the death penalty?"


 ☉ the issue is often being used by Taiwan gov. as "some kind of political maneuvering."

　

☉ a majority of Taiwanese oppose the abolition of the death penalty

  dw.com/en/taiwans-death-penalty-and-debate-over-constitutional-rights/a-68909105  Yuchen Li 

　

　

　

★ United Daily (聯合報, 2024-2-24):   Taiwan police repeatedly treated Taiwanese people by violence or brutality just like taking Taiwan back to  the medieval century, their violations of human rights and proportionality, similar to that in Chinese fishermen deaths event, were done without video recording.
For example, three policemen in PinTong (屏東) tortured a person suspected of stealing by batons, and soon resulted in a death event.  Another case in TaoYuan (桃園), a teenager passing by police station was forcefully dragged into investigation room and was tortured by stun gun, etc, for more than one hour.   Tsai Ing-wen in 70th anniversary of International Asso. Judges meeting stated that the pursuit of human rights is never ending, Taiwan is working tirelessly to achieve the highest international standards of judicial independence and human rights protections. However, to say a beautiful slogan is one thing to do is another.
Taiwan government fails in judicial reform !  brief udn.com/news/story/11091/7790040?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

　

Taiwan's "Big Brother"
★ United Daily (聯合報), editorial, 2024-6-2: Lai Ching-te government has been monitoring the whole population by cell-phone signaling. udn.com/news/story/7338/8003898?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

★

★ United Daily (聯合報), editorial, 2024-5-30:  Taiwan's parliament should make some achievements in preventing the abuse of power by state machine and the surveillance of people by political parties.  Don't disappoint the public.KMT :  It turns out that our country has been quietly performing "The Truman Show (1998)" and illegally grasping people's personal information.   王義川 eventually honestly spoke out the long-standing secret of the ruling party DPP - they secretly conducted "Green Terror" by using State apparatus in the past 8 years. WaterGate scandal;  It turns out that "Big Brother" has always been there.  The DPP has set Taiwan's democracy back 30 years.

★

★ United Daily (聯合報), 2024-5-31:  柯文哲 (Ko W.J.), the chief of 民眾黨 party said this issue is "Restoration of secret police" (「警總復辟」).ˉ

★

　

★ Reporters Without Borders (RSF) , 2023-12-13: Taiwan is a country that suffers from one of the lowest trust rates in the media among democracies (28%) and where the media community is often criticised for disregarding journalism ethics... journalists suffer from a very polarised media environment dominated by sensationalism and the pursuit of profit at the expense of quality news reporting.

★

★ China Times (中國時報) , 2024-3-12: The minister of National Defence defines "(China's) local cooperator" as whoever sending messages or words to our disadvantage and to the opposite side's advantage,  for our initial judgment (「任何訊息、言論對我不利，對對方有利，初步就認為是在地協力者」)。Therefore, in the future, any criticism or opinion on the government may be put a "(China's)  cooperator" label on, which leads to chilling effect.  chinatimes.com/opinion/20240312004516-262101?chdtv

★

★ United Daily (聯合報) , 2024-3-17:  The minister of National Defense says the prosecution/police and investigation will eventually determine whether or not the suspect is a "local cooperator", which scares the public as long as the state apparatus getting involved and going through a long time legal process.  Only the good news rather than the bad is exactly what the ruler expect - a chilling effect.  (只要啟動檢調警國家機器，就足以收震懾威嚇之效；再經司法程序一路折騰，即使還其清白，也已被剥掉幾層皮。只准報喜不許唱憂，正是統治者要的寒蟬效應！) udn.com/news/story/7338/7836324?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2

★

#MeToo in Taiwan
★ CNN, 2023-6-10:  Taiwan, priding itself on gender equality, is facing its own reckoning over sexual harassment.   Most sexual harassment victims were told to "let it go" ... Such culture of self-sacrifice is deep rooted in Taiwan's political reality, where the "big picture" often comes above everything else.    edition.cnn.com/2023/06/10/asia/taiwan-metoo-netflix-wave-makers-intl-hnk/index.html
　

★ The Guardian (UK), 2023-6-8: The belated #MeToo reckoning has exposed the deeply patriarchal norms that still govern Taiwanese society.   … victims in the dark and perpetrators enjoying impunity”. Prof Chen Mei-hua at National Sun Yat-sen University noted that while these accusations had played out in the court of public opinion, in formal legal proceedings they were unlikely to succeed. "...It is almost impossible for victims to win the lawsuit.”.    theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/taiwan-ruling-party-rocked-sexual-harassment-claims-metoo AmyHawk

　

★  Washington Post, 2023-6-7: the government has until now been slow to respond to reported cases of sexual harassment.  msn.com/en-us/news/world/hit-netflix-show-sparks-a-wave-of-metoo-allegations-in-taiwan/ar-AA1cefPH    Vic Chiang, Meaghan Tobin     Bloomberg, 2023-6-7:  Tsai Ing-wen: "We've also seen such cases are everywhere...".

　

★ The China Project (New York based), 2023-6-8: Until now, Taiwan has not seen a #MeToo movement similar to that in the United States, Europe, or even China.  Victim blaming is still prevalent in Taiwanese society, discouraging victims from coming forward. 70% to 80% of respondents who said they had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace chose to remain silent.   thechinaproject.com/2023/06/08/taiwans-ruling-dpp-rocked-by-sexual-misconduct-allegations/  Jordyn Haime


★ SCMP, 2023-6-11:  NTU prof.  Tso Chen-dong: the DPP has greatly disappointed the public as ... referring to the party's pledges to promote gender equality and human rights.  DPP had long focused on LGBTQ equality, rather than women's rights. scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3223609/wave-metoo-cases-threatens-engulf-taiwans-ruling-democratic-progressive-party   Lawance Chung

 Lawance Chung 

　

 ★   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...
　

★ US State Government  2023 trafficking in persons report /
Taiwan  authorities did not fully implement victim identification procedures, complicating some victims’ access to justice and protective care.  Authorities’ insufficient staffing and inspection protocols continued to impede efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute forced labor on fishing vessels in Taiwan’s highly vulnerable Distant Water Fleet (DWF).  Authorities’ lack of specific labor laws ensuring the rights of migrant domestic caregivers continued to leave thousands vulnerable to exploitation in forced labor. Many foreign workers in Taiwan earn significantly less than the minimum wage.  Foreign workers who leave their contracted positions – more than 55,000 at any given time – are at particularly high risk of trafficking.   Employers withheld travel and identity documents of 90 percent of all migrant domestic caregivers.
Foreign fishermen working on Taiwan-owned and -flagged and Taiwan- owned, foreign-flagged fishing vessels have experienced non- or under-payment of wages, long working hours, physical abuse, lack of food or medical care, denial of sleep, substandard safety equipment, and poor living conditions while indebted to complex, multinational brokerage networks through the continued imposition of recruitment fees and deposits.  Migrant fishermen have reported senior crewmembers employ such coercive tactics as threats of physical violence, beatings, withholding of food and water, retention of identity documents, wage deductions, and non-contractual compulsory sharing of vessel operational costs to retain their labor.  These abuses are particularly prevalent in Taiwan’s DWF.
 Traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and they subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking .   Taiwanese traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement.  Taiwanese traffickers also exploit persons with disabilities in sex trafficking.
 Taiwanese criminal organizations  target people from Taiwan for fraudulent recruitment, they may “resell” those who cannot meet sales quotas or repay recruitment debts to other criminal networks – for forced labor in similar fraud schemes, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking.
 Traffickers lure women from the PRC and Southeast Asian countries to Taiwan through fraudulent marriages and deceptive employment offers for purposes of sex trafficking.  Many trafficking victims are migrant workers from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and, to a lesser extent, individuals from the PRC, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka.  Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Thai nationals continue to represent the majority of foreign sex trafficking and forced labor victims in Taiwan.  
 Traffickers reportedly take advantage of relaxed visa requirements under Taiwan's “New Southbound Policy” to lure Southeast Asian students and tourists to Taiwan and subject them to forced labor and sex trafficking.     state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/taiwan/

     ★

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...

　

High-tech. persecutions in Taiwan   ( privacy is no longer sacrosanct ) 

　

★ surveillance in Europe

 An increased number of oversight bodies in EU Member States now monitors the work of intelligence services.  About one month ago, a historic vote in the European Parliament: dangerous AI surveillance (real-time remote biometric identification in public spaces, emotion recognition  ( face analysis ) ) banned.

　

★ surveillance in the U.S.
　

Freedom House (2019)  : At the very least, social media surveillance must come under greater oversight.  The use of such programs must be transparent... The survival of democracy requires vibrant public spaces, both offline and online, where individuals can... without fear of constant surveillance.

Washington DC based Epic.org: The unchecked expansion of surveillance systems is one of the greatest threats to privacy and civil liberties.  Abuses of surveillance technology are not only unjust, they're dangerous.

　

The concerns in the US or Europe are basically about people’s emails, online chats, internet browsing histories, and information about social media activity or  face analysis  in public spaces, etc

　

As for mind control, and electromagnetic attacks the civilians in Taiwan, those are not only violation of Privacy Act (Taiwan does not have a Privacy Act ), but also committing serious crimes.

　

　

However,
In Taiwan, it is sort of a "Black box"    ──   
Global Times (2022-12-19) says that - There are forces on the island of Taiwan who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people.  

Taiwan has not rebutted its "sworm enemy's" allegation for more than half years, which is nothing other than giving a tacit consent to it.

　

Till now, Taiwan Intel. still refuse to declassify and open persecution files of 50 years ago, are they willing to open the public the crimes they committed in recent years (if any) ?

　

Star War

　

★ Oversight

In the US, PRISM receives independent oversight from the federal Gov. executive, judicial and legislatives branches. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM)
In EU Member States, they increased the number of oversight bodies to monitor the work of intelligence services
　

★  Can Taiwan make it ?


Each time Taiwan's Intel. or dark forces use any of high-tech. weapons (e.g., electromagnetic attacks, mind controlling, etc) to harm or repress or abuse any of Taiwanese people,  will they record their operation on files ?  Taiwan needs a mechanism for great oversight and legal actions.
　

　

♦ Executive

♦  Judicial  

♦  Legislatives

Economist (2023-5-31) says the gov. Executive Yuan  (the ruling party) has an image problem at home; they have been criticized as immoral and rotten (chinatimes.com/opinion/20230602004779-262101?chdtv   , udn.com/news/story/7338/7179278?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate    udn.com/news/story/7338/7183270?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate   udn.com/news/story/7338/7180885) ;  Only 32.8% of the Taiwanese people trust the judges. (National Chung-Cheng Univ., 2023-2-13) The opposition legislators have huge difficulty in asking for any files (China Times, 2021-6-18 editorial)


　

　

　

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Yandex of Russia ,
2023-6-21, 2023-4-2, No.2 at 2022-6-5, 2022-3-1

　

　


pic.: No.2 "Taiwan human rights" on Yandex of Russia,2023-6-21, 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  

　

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
nLarge 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
nForced 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 cover“White Terror”with "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" bill /  KMT 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

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●  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" bill /  KMT 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, 6-23-2019: The 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

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●  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

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●  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:

 ● China Times, 2023-6-26:  Taiwan ruling party's corruption - structural, collective and overall (結構性、集體性、全面性貪腐) ;  has already crossed the bottom line, and being out of control. chinatimes.com/opinion/20230626004425-262101?chdtv   brief  ● 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

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●  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 ChwanChuen, 2021-9-1: 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

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●  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.

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●  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

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● 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 dark force are mean, base, cruel  and dark to destroy target's image and reputation, they executed without moral bottom line and military discipline  (brief).   ● The United Daily News, editorial 11-30-2019: The state machine was abused as government's "tributaries".  ● UDN 11-3-2018,  Intel. sys. (NSB) confirmed their investigations of Facebook and other's communities on the net.  All internet platform service providers in Taiwan were requested to hand in all users' personal information/data (intel denied).   ● <Apple Daily (蘋果日報)> 11-7-2018 editorial opinion:  by whatever name ( "secret police" or "national security bureau") it is called, what "it" did secretly were always more than what it admitted.  Taiwan's Intelligence and secret-agent systems keep on governing the country ... they're true Prime Minister (行政院長), ...So many suspected political murder cases remain unsolved  (ref to 2018.7.26【政經看民視】 FTV, "政經看民視", 7-26-2018;  SET(三立電視), 9-24-2013 "Secret agents govern the nation (特務治國)" www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdZCdYrwF4;  Era TV,   年代電視, 9-22-2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1b4R2m6K3g; "Secret agent systems resurgence to control the nation (特務復辟治國)"   repression, oppression

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●  int'l fraud :  ● United Daily (聯合報), editorial, 2023-5-11 : Taiwan government got no grades on fighting fraud。In today, Taiwanese crimes of fraud have spread all over the world, the criminal methods have deteriorated to abducting people, selling human organs, defrauding money by using the name of the administration...●The China Times (中時) , editorial , 2023-5-8: The head of fraud group,「im.B借貸媒合平台」, has close connection with DPP's top ranking officials such as deputy premier   ● Reuters, DW (Germany), 12-31-2020: Chinese court sentences 29 Taiwanese deported from Spain / In recent years, hundreds of Taiwanese nationals, suspected of committing telecoms fraud overseas...   ● United Daily, 10-23-2019, editorial: Taiwanese telecom frauds run wild the entire world to damage Taiwan's image.   ● CTV evening news, 12-14-2017,  EBC TV, 4-9-2017,  UDN opinion, 12-24-2017:  Taiwan is notorious for its fraud crimes all over the world.  quora, 4-16-2016:  Taiwan largely sees these telecom frauds/phone scammers as an asset rather than liability...  ●  China Times, 11-7-2017:  It's not easy for Taiwan to clean its bad name of 'fraud-crime empire' because "Rome is not built in one day".  (Asia Association of Police Studies, secretary general)     international fraud 

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●  torture & cruelty :  ● Global Times, 2022-12-19:  There are forces on the island who are mentally controlling the Taiwan people...    ●justsecurity.org, Focus Taiwan, Taipei Times, etc, 2022-5-13:  international human rights review panel urges to ban torture and other cruelties ● Global Times (globaltimes.cn/content/1209528.shtml), 12-9-2020: Taiwan authority ‘persecutes mainlanders, pro-reunification activists' by 'Political persecution, framing charge' .    Taiwan is far behind and keeps stalling legislating a new law against torture and other cruelty, conclusively advised by international 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. )  (ref. to Apple Daily, headline, 12-9-2017)  Taiwan's opposition party vice presidential candidate, NTU 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. ), Taiwan gov. denied this.     ● State violence and white terror (product of state violence) return in Taiwan (United Daily, opinion, 12-21-2017, 12-27-2017).     Taiwan's Facebook "Green terror" suppressed free expression...... (Wikipedia 2017, The China Times, public opinion, 11-18-2017).   The key-point is state violence (Apple Daily, opinion, 8-16-2013).   repression, oppression

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●  food safety  : ● United Daily (經濟日報社論),  2023-2-1: Food safety is an anxious issue for Taiwanese people ● Global Times,  2022-9-17 : DPP authority is sacrificing the people's interests for their political ends.   the Taiwan authorities detected Caesium-137 in the batch of konjaku jelly powder since the island in February relaxed a decade-long ban on imports of "nuclear food"  from Japan.   ● Scientific Reports Journal, Food Navigator Asia, 2-9-2021: Fish fraud findings: Almost 20% of fish in Taiwan found to be mislabelled - study (Taiwan food scare, including 5 star hotel restaurant foods  which the website revealed earlier in 2017).   ● The China Times, 10-20-2018  opinion (editorial)   https://opinion.chinatimes.com/20181019003889-262101 :  Taiwan's food safety failed again and again,  Dioxin, Fipronil poison-eggs in last year, Nicarbazin illegal drug residue event in this year.  Europe was very cautious about Fipronil event, in contrast, Taiwan did nothing about it.   Even worse, Taiwan officials hide Nicarbazin issue from Taiwanese people to baby related business ― indulge business to retrieve problematic eggs and then resell them as promotion goods.  Why do high-ranking officials always fudge Taiwanese people's only, and humblest request ？?   (brief)  ●  UDN, 2-17-2019: Gov. did not declared poison eggs until almost sold out...  ● The China Times (中國時報), 2-28-2019,  opinion (editorial) questions Taiwan officials are trying very hard to hide the epidemic state of Marek's virus in chicken eggs ...

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● int'l drug base : ● Statista 2022-11-18: Offense against narcotics hazard prevention act ranks No.2 crime by the Number committed in Taiwan in 2021  ●

The Diplomat, 2022-5-17
:"patrols of the coast became almost nonexistent and, as a result, it was easy to smuggle guns and drugs into Taiwan.” ● Taiwan is narcotic drugs producing & selling center of Asia (The China Times <Want Weekly>, 9-18-2019).  Taiwan was already reduced to be a 'kingdom' of producing narcotic drugs. (United Daily, headline news, 11-2-2017)   Philippine President Duterte ... blaming Taiwan-based organised crime behind all this drug traffic... for using his country as a shipping hub. (Reuters, 9-27-2017, The Straits Times, 9-29-2017)   Duterte: Triad supplying illegal drugs to PH is based in Taiwan, not China (inquirer.net, 9-26-2017).    Taiwan is scandalous for being a major drug transit center & a major drug exporting country, part of Taiwanese government including Judicial sys. refused to improve this issue. (UDN Opinion, 11-6-2017, The China Times, head-page & focus, 4-4-2017, The Liberty Times, 5-12-2017)    illegal drugs

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●  exploitation ,   children & women trafficking : ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2023-3-20: A rise in the number of reports of child sexual exploitation cases;  The NGOs called for increased prosecutions and heavier penalties. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2022-4-12:  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. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  NGOs raised concerns regarding 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.  ● US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019:   in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. ... take advantage of Taiwan and foreign women’s and children’s drug addictions to subject them to sex trafficking. Taiwan traffickers increasingly use the internet, smartphone apps, livestreaming, and other such online technologies to conduct recruitment activities, often targeting child victims, and to mask their identities from law enforcement.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, March 3, 2017, 4-20-2018:  Exploitation of  foreign workers,  official corruption,  some media self-censorship with regard to China, vote buying, etc.     prostitution

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●  life protection  : ● NY Times, 2021-10-15:Taiwan has a spotty record when it comes to fire safety... severe disrepair as a result of weak management and government neglect.  Skyrocketing housing costs in Taiwan’s cities — and a rapidly aging population — have exacerbated these issues in recent years and have outpaced the government’s efforts to resolve them...  ● Nature, 2023-6-22:  Despite concerns from several nations and international groups (but Taiwan goes down on its knees) , Japan is pressing ahead with plans to release water contaminated by the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean● China times, 2021-10-15:  Behind the fire sea in Kaohsiung building (城中城) is the government's discrimination and indifference to those underprivileged group who can not afford buying fire-fighting equipments ● UDN 2021-4-1: foolish energy policy kills our lungs, people in southern and middle of Taiwan increasingly got related diseases ●  Apple Daily, 2021-4-10, editorial: The bane of Taiwan- backward infrastructures, e.g., no early-warning system for railway train, pollution in stream, dam, reservoir deposition ● The government has not well taken its fundamental responsibility of protecting the safety of people's life and property - why 5/6 bridges badly in need of repair have not done ?  government even has never made public the info. and where those bridges are. (ref. to United Daily, 10-9-2019, headline news)   why are there so many tall buildings located on the fault-zone? why are poor architectures everywhere on bad geologic grounds ? why are those shit-hole politicians doing nothing and ignoring urban renewal so as to risk millions of old houses and human beings? (ps: may face death in 6 magnitude quake)    (full text: https://udn.com/news/story/11321/2974813 聯合報社論／斷層帶上何以建了那麼多高樓？  2-8-2018,  https://udn.com/news/story/7338/2977079 勿讓軟腳樓成坑殺人命陷阱 2-9-2018,  https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20180209/37928659花蓮 都更 爛政客   2-9-2018)

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● life protection (2) : ●  BBC, Independent, 2023-6-20:  the drugging of preschool children in Taiwan have sparked widespread alarm on the island.  Some teachers at the kindergarten gave children phenobarbital to “make them more compliant”. A rally demanded transparency from the government.  ● UDN, 2023-6-6: Taiwan government tries to hide the safety risk - Taiwan Power's 四接 in Keelung Port - a significant risk  ● CIA Fact Book, Dec. 10, 2021: air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species ● Taiwan's CCPI (Climate Change Performance Index - GHG emissions, renewable energy, etc) rank of 2019 is reciprocal third among countries, the score/ranking is from bad to worse since 2017.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times higher than the number reported to police.   ●  United Daily, 2021-4-10, editorial: The death rate of traffic accident (8+ per day) is higher than hat of many backward countries.  Large-bus structure is problematic - Jerry-built or bad safety specification. So many gods are hidden in the detail  ● UDN 1-2-2018 udn.com/news/story/7266/2908720,  The China Times. 8-6-2016, <食品不安全的年代如何自保>, 2016, etc : Taiwan failed to solve food-safety issue, professors and MDs advised eating at home.  Taiwan is dishonest and 'cruel' ― trying to hide, block, delay public-health news, e.g., poisoned eggs, PCV virus vaccine, and Bird-flu more than one time.  ref to BBC news :  www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese_news/2012/03/120304_taiwan_birdflu_investigate. ●  Due to bad Income distribution, Taiwan's social security (offender rate) worsens (China Times, 2-25-2020 editorial).   ●  The China Times 5-9-2018 column : This is an EVIL state apparatus ... The China Times 5-26-2018 column : The government likes to conceal bad news, put paper over the cracks, e.g., air pollution, rupture of diplomatic relationships, ...http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180509000843-260109  ● Taiwan's CCPI (Climate Change Performance Index - GHG emissions, renewable energy, etc) rank of 2019 is reciprocal third among countries, the score/ranking is from bad to worse since 2017. ● Apple Daily 12-11-2019, headline news: Taiwan's air pollution is bad to worse, about half population were endangered by PM2.5 and PM10 from top 10 hazardous level companies (China Steel, Taichung Power plant, etc)  ● Taiwan administration's policy led to air pollution, toxic pollution in the land and sea ...   (The China Times, 1-7-2018 台灣海陸空污染毒害，山海變色 http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20180107000465-260114。Daily Mail (UK) 7-14-2017 : Shocking underwater video from Taiwan shows ocean floor littered with plastic (bottles) garbage)

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●  transportation safety ● CNN (2022-12-6): Taiwan's 'living hell' traffic is a tourism problem.  Taiwan is notorious for its dangerous roads.  ● UDN, CTN, Apple Daily editorial、2021-4-3: NY Times, CNN: train carrying 490 derails /  Serious transportation accidents repeat -  all are SOP ignoring man-made disasters, no one treats seriously the warning message behind each accident, The gov. is good at risk management and focus-shifting, instead of preventive management in advance, all these lead to tragedy again and again. The event is just a tip of a iceberg, Taiwan should establish a culture respecting human life.  Taiwan railway bureau got rigid grading system  and reform failure.  ● United Daily News 1-20-2020:  The death rate caused by traffic accidents in Taiwan is 5 times that in Japan.  ● The SUN, BBC (UK) 2-13-2017: "BUS CRASH HORROR!" , Taiwan's tour bus  "has come under fire in recent months over safety standards"...  ● MSN, Reuters, EuroNews, Mirro(UK), NewsWeek, CNN, etc (2-4-2015) :"Taiwan has had a poor aviation safety record in recent years" .   transportation   Taiwan's aviation safety

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●  Labor rights ● Le Monde diplomatique (France),  2023-2-14: Most migrant workers to higher-income Taiwan incur substantial debt to finance their fees, which binds them to their employers’ whims and exploitation while they pay it off.  ● US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 2022-4-12: 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. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: The right to strike remained highly restricted.  24 percent of foreign fishermen suffered violent physical abuse; 92 percent experienced unlawful wage withholding; 82 percent worked overtime excessively.  ●  , 3-16-2021: the U.S. Labor Department placed Taiwan on its 2020 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.  ● National Geographic, 11-25-2020 : Wildlife crimes and human rights abuses plague Taiwanese fishing vessels ...illegal dolphin catching, shark finning, and physical and verbal abuse ... ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  The right to strike remained highly regulated. 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. For all workers, the law divides labor disputes into “rights disputes” and “adjustment disputes.” Workers are allowed to strike only in adjustment disputes, which include issues such as compensation and working schedules. The law forbids strikes in rights disputes related to violations of collective agreements and employment contracts.    foreign laborers

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●  underworld gang & politics : ● Global Times, 2022-11-28:  black (underworld) gold politics and nepotism severely violated what the DPP had pledged to the people  ● China Times,  2022-11-27: Tsai's DPP has entangled with Mafia, has abused of power and corrupted (黑道纏身、濫權腐化) ● United Daily, editorial, 2021-5-7: The underworld gang links with the legal syndicate, or the gangsters parasitize the political party, which certainly leads to deviation and collapse of the adm. order.  (udn.com/news/story/7338/5439377?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2)  ● Apple Daily, 2021-5-7:   the country has been ruled by "black-gold" gangsters and bureaucratic factions. The "big guys" of gangs can decide or influence which democratical representatives will reach the stage of electoral campaigns for law-makers, city-councilors, ....  President Tsai won't be able to crack down gangsters.  ( brief from  tw.appledaily.com/forum/20210507/AWDMO7WLEBCAZCIYHGO7UBA4DA/  趙少康)    democracy

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●  social security ● TaiwanPlus, 2023-5-4: Taiwan Police Chief Detained for Alleged Fraud Ring Ties  ● The China Times (中時) , editorial , 2023-5-5: The "Social security net" is proved to be broken -  they fail to protect citizens' personal basic data/information ● 《Yahoo Taiwan》, 2021-11-23:  all opposition parties blast the government not fulfilling its promise to patch the loophole of social security network.  ●《Next TV news 壹新聞》, 2021-11-23, 12:11: a big loophole in our social security net.  ● The China Times, 2-25-2020 editorial: Due to bad Income distribution, Taiwan's social security (offender rate) worsens.  ● World Economic Forum (WEF)  <Travel and tourism competitiveness report> released at 9-4-2019 shows Taiwan's "safety & security" got an Eastern Asia-pacific average score 6.0, and is worse than world No.5 Hong Kong, No. 6 Singapore , No. 7 UAE,  No. 10 New Zealand,  11 Qatar,  13 Japan, 19 Australia,   23 Saudi Arabia.   ●《Economist》UK , EIU 「The Safe Cities Index 2019  」  Taiwan's "personal security" dropped 14 places compared with previous yrs. report,  Taiwan is worse than neighbors Singapore, Japan, China, Korea...     police

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●  discrimination ● Taipei Times, 2023-6-12:  immigration authorities hand out insult after insult to people whose skins are a bit too brown... the reality of its suicidally discriminatory immigration policies is painful for those of us who live and work here. ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30: The majority of sex discrimination cases reported in 2019 were forced resignations due to pregnancies. Scholars said sex discrimination remained significantly underreported.   There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV or AIDS.  ● USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  3-11-2020:  Activists for LGBTI rights said due to victims’ reluctance to lodge formal complaints, discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases.  There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV/AIDS. ●  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019  Foreign and PRC-born spouses were reportedly targets of social discrimination outside and, at times, inside the home.   Discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases.  Employment discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS continues, Taipei officials pressured a magazine reporter to drop an investigative report about the city’s breach of personal information for more than 3,000 AIDS patients.

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Harvard professor Dr. Joseph Nye advised in 2010 that hard and soft power enable Taiwan to deal with China and expand its international space. Brookings at 1-22-2018 commented that Increasing “soft power” is a low-cost, high-return strategy for Taiwan.  However, Taiwan's soft power was behind that of Asian's countries, China and Asian's Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, India, UAE.  Taiwan failed to be included in UK based Monocle's Soft Power list 2010 ~ 2019 and Soft Power 30 by USC Center on Public Diplomacy, 2017 ~ 2019/2020.   Taiwan's military power was recently cut down by half and is in a state of low morale, Taiwan's administration made a core defense strategy to resist Chinese PLA for 2 weeks, and made assumption that then American sons and daughters will always risk their lives to protect our home.   full text : Taiwan

  ★  USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,  2021-3-30:  Members of the security forces committed some abuses.  Significant human rights issues included: the existence of criminal libel laws and serious acts of corruption.
◎◎●  There were allegations of vote buying by candidates and supporters of both major political parties (KMT and DPP) in Presidential election。There were reports of official corruption during the year. In the year to May, nine high-ranking officials, 59 mid-level, 75 low-level, and 18 elected people’s deputies had been indicted for corruption.
◎◎●  the authorities generally respected judicial independence and impartiality. Some political commentators and academics, however, publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high profile, politically sensitive cases.
 ◎◎●  Although the law allows for the delineation of government-owned traditional indigenous territories, 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.

◎◎● 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. Workers are allowed to strike only in “adjustment” disputes which include issues such as compensation and working schedules. The law forbids strikes related to rights guaranteed under the law.

◎◎● 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.  Incidents of sexual harassment were reportedly on the rise in public spaces, schools, the legislature, and in government agencies.  The majority of sex discrimination cases reported in 2019 were forced resignations due to pregnancies. Scholars said sex discrimination remained significantly underreported due to workers’ fear of retaliation from employers and difficulties in finding new employment if the worker has a history of making complaints. According to a 2018 survey by the Ministry of Finance, the median monthly income for women was, on average, 87.5 percent of the amount their male counterparts earned.

◎◎

◎◎●  NGOs raised concerns regarding 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

◎◎●  Forced labor occurred primarily in sectors reliant on migrant workers including domestic services, fishing, farming, manufacturing, meat processing, and construction. Some labor brokers charged foreign workers exorbitant recruitment fees and used debts incurred from these fees in the source country as tools of coercion to subject the workers to debt bondage.   Migrant fishermen reported senior crewmembers employ coercive tactics such as threats of physical violence, 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.  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 their debt to recruiters.   Foreign workers generally faced exploitation and incurred significant debt burdens during the recruitment process due to excessive brokerage fees, guarantee deposits, and higher charges for flights and accommodations.  NGOs reported that foreign fishing crews in Taiwan’s distant-waters fishing fleet generally received wages below the required $450 per month because of dubious deductions for administrative fees and deposits. ...  The results suggested that 24 percent of foreign fishermen suffered violent physical abuse; 92 percent experienced unlawful wage withholding; 82 percent worked overtime excessively. There were also reports fishing crew members could face hunger and dehydration and have been prevented from leaving their vessels or terminating their employment contracts. 
◎◎● Censorship or Content Restrictions: Officials in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) influenced Taiwan media outlets through pressure on the business interests of their parent companies in the PRC. Taiwan journalists reported difficulty publishing content critical of the PRC, alleging that PRC authorities had pressured Taiwan businesses with operations in China to refrain from advertising with Taiwan media outlets which published such material. To punish Taiwan media outlets deemed too critical of PRC policies or actions, the PRC would subject their journalists to heightened scrutiny at Chinese ports of entry or deny them entry to China. PRC actors also targeted the computers and mobile phones of Taiwan journalists for cyberattacks.
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.

　

　

　

★  CovID-19 in Taiwan :  very high death rates

Economist at 2022-11-29 reported many Taiwanese are tired of squabbles over national identity, especially after president Tsai's refusal to accept an offer of much-needed vaccines from China during a severe coronavirus outbreak.   Guardian, 2021-7-12: Taiwan has rejected China's offers as fake altruism. ... putting politics above its people theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/12/taiwan-tech-companies-buy-10m-covid-vaccine-doses-in-deal-that-sidesteps-china

The Guardian, 2021-6-14:  it still seemed “in the DPP’s electoral interest not to get any China vaccines". "It would be foolish to say no".    theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/14/how-taiwan-struggle-for-covid-vaccines-is-inflaming-tensions-with-china
　
According to New York Times (2022-10-25), Taiwan's CovID-19 cases per 100,000 and deaths per 100,000 both are the worst among main Asian countries.

The China Times (2022-10-26): Taiwan's confirmed cases per 1000,000 in last 7 days ranks world last.  (chinatimes.com/opinion/20221025005192-262101?chdtv)

New York Times, 2022-10-25
Coronavirus World Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak   
nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html
country/region cases daily avg. per100,000 Deaths daily avg. per100,000
World 364,848 5 1,488.9 0.02
Taiwan 36,863 155 61.9 0.26
Singapore 5,941 104 1.7 0.03
Hong Kong 5,438 73 8.3 0.11
New Zealand 3,260 66 4.4 0.09
S Korea 23,025 45 16.9 0.03
Japan 34,409 27 57.3 0.05
Australia 4634 18 12.9 0.05
Qatar 471 17 0.1 <0.01
Malaysia 1932 6 3 <0.01
UAE 282 3 0.1 <0.01
Philippines 1541 1 37.9 0.04
Indonesia 2201 <1 18.6 <0.01
Saudi Arabia 228 <1 1.9 <0.01
Mongolia 21 <1 0 -
Vietnam 593 <1 0.4 <0.01
Thailand 374 <1 5.7 <0.01
Myanmar 195 <1 0.9 <0.01
Laos 12 <1 0 -
India 1760 <1 9.5 <0.01
Bangladesh 176 <1 1.0 <0.01
China 844 <1 0 -
SriLanka 9 <1 0.6 <0.01

　

　
　

Taiwan's COVID-19 performance

World Index

Taiwan's ranks

link
　 　 　
Statista, 2022-7-27: Coronavirus (COVID-19)  death rate, in countries with confirmed deaths and over 1,000 reported cases
as of April 26, 2022, by country		 Taiwan ranks No.143, behind NZ, Singapore, Australia, S Korea, Qatar, Mongolia, Israel, Laos, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India, Nepal, etc statista.com/statistics/1105914/coronavirus-death-rates-worldwide/
Nikkei CovID-19 Recovery Index, as of Jul. 31 Taiwan ranks No. 79 , behind Cambodia, Vietnam, UAE, S. Korea,  China, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Mongolia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia,  etc asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/Japan-tumbles-in-COVID-recovery-ranking-as-infections-surge
Bloomberg's CovID Resilience Ranking, 2022-6-29 Taiwan ranks next to the last bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking   2022-5-27 Taiwan ranks the 3rd from the end    bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/spanish.html
Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking   2021-10-28 Taiwan's "3-month case fatality rate ", 7.7 %, ranks world worst bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Bloomberg CovID Resilience Ranking  2021-9-28 Taiwan's "3-month case fatality rate ", 13.4 %, ranks world worst bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-resilience-ranking/
Nikkei CovID-19 Recovery Index, as of Aug. 31 (released at 2022-9-9) Taiwan ranks No. 57 , behind Vietnam, Cambodia, UAE, S. Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Mongolia, China, Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, etc asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-19-Recovery-Index/China-slips-in-COVID-recovery-ranking-with-fresh-lockdowns

full details
　

　

    

   understanding Taiwanese -  from CovID-19 flare-up
　
★ Benefit has precedence over human lives /
 Taiwanese patients in serious situation waiting for one week but failed to get Remdesivir,  because the government placed obstacles on their applications for using the specific remedy for curing coronavirus, which increased Taiwan's death rate ―  double global average.   United Daily, 2022-5-11: Taiwan's CDC "creates" a world-unique, rigid & severe admin. procedure for Cov. patients to apply for Paxlovid, therefore, most of them fail to have antiviral pills.  How can little people fight the state machine ? udn.com/news/story/11091/6304035?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2   ♣ United Daily, 2022-5-28: people usually get antiviral pills at the 4th or 5th day since becoming ill, increasing the probability that mild case worsens to moderate-severe case.  udn.com/news/story/7338/6346575?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate
　

★ Politicians first,  Elders' lives - the 6th~10th /
Taiwan's CDC says 90 per cent of those who died of Covid-19 were over 60 (TTV news, 2021-7-4), The CDC USA noted at Jun. 9, 2021 that The risk increases for people in their 50s and increases in 60s, 70s, and 80s... However, Taiwan once eliminated elders aged 65-75 from vaccination list, and later gave those aged 60+  and with chronic disease 10th ~ 6th low priorities to get vaccinated, instead, top officers (a huge number , and is expanding "unlimitedly" ) got 2nd priority, in spite of WHO advice : government leaders and admin. personnel should be narrowly interpreted to "a very small number of individuals". Some widely-known Law makers cut in queue to take PCR test, left behind lots of people (some are high risky) waiting and even died in long lines, sunny or rainy  udn.com/news/story/7338/6313780?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2    udn.com/news/story/11091/6325951?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2
　

★ human lives do not matter /  
Taiwan's government deliberately to place obstacles (Foxconn says "invisible power") on civil organizations to purchase western vaccines.  Guardian (UK) :  it still seemed “in the DPP’s electoral interest " not to get any Pfizer BNT vaccines from Chinese agents.  (ps: Taiwan's gov is unable to get enough vaccines, which is far from needed)

　

  for full details :  Taiwanese personality,   CovID-19 in Taiwan

　

　

★ National Geographic, 11-25-2020 : Wildlife crimes and human rights abuses plague Taiwanese fishing vessels ...illegal dolphin catching, shark finning, and physical and verbal abuse ...  The assaults,  Indonesian worker Supri says, included his being locked in a freezer when he was still wet from having taken a shower, and being beaten, sprayed in the face with a hose, and shocked with an electric stun gun. In a recent report, the EJF said that abuse of crew members—along with illegal fishing for sharks and dolphins, among other species—is common in Taiwan’s distant-water fishing fleet, one of the world’s largest with more than a thousand vessels. China and Taiwan represent nearly 60 percent of the world’s distant-water fishing vessels.(brief)  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/11/taiwan-fishing-vessels-perpetuate-illegal-fishing-human-rights-abuses/ 

★★

★  Global Times, 12-9-2020  https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1209528.shtml 

Chiu Yi, a former "lawmaker" in Taiwan said the DPP authority has already made the island extremely hostile to the people who support reunification, and the persecution and stigmatization toward mainlanders, pro-reunification activists won't stop.  He said his family members have also been impacted.  The persecution against mainland compatriots in Taiwan is actually against the "human rights and freedom" that the DPP has always crowed about.  (brief)

★

★ CTS News,  1-21-2021 : US Trafficking in Persons Report (since 2015) has criticized Taiwan's long-time exploitation of foreign fishing workers.  CTS: Taiwan government keeps covering those Taiwan's fishing businesses

CTS TV News special report, 1-21-2021  8:00pm ~ : US Trafficking in Persons Report (since 2015) has criticized Taiwan's long-time exploitation of foreign fishing workers, about 20,000 immigrant workers are not under protection of Taiwan's laws.  

pic. upper left:  a foreign workers working on Taiwan’s distant-water fishing fleet for 8 years accused - he has never expected his folk died at front of him.   pic. upper right: a foreign laborer's half side of body fails to move for overwork (slept only 2 hours per day for a long time)  , but the Taiwanese boss did not get a Doctor for him.    pic. left & right:  Expert: Taiwanese government keeps covering those fishing fleet bosses and ignoring human rights.
　

　

★  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. Judicial reform advocates pressed for greater public accountability, reforms of the personnel system, and other procedural improvements ;  Labor laws do not cover domestic household workers, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.  Foreign workers were most susceptible to forced labor, especially when serving as crew members on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels. Some labor brokers charged foreign workers exorbitant recruitment fees and used debts incurred from these fees in the source country as tools of coercion to subject the workers to debt bondage.  The Ministry of Labor may also permit foreign workers to transfer to new employers in cases of exploitation or abuse.  foreign workers often were reluctant to report employer abuses for fear the employer would terminate the contract and deport them, leaving them unable to reimburse debt accrued during the recruitment process.  The approximately 703,000 foreign workers, primarily from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, were vulnerable to exploitation. Foreign workers generally incurred significant debt burdens during the recruitment process due to excessive brokerage fees, guarantee deposits, and higher charges for flights and accommodations. Brokerage agencies.   Abuse was common in domestic service; there were several reports of employers raping foreign domestic helpers.  Mistreatment and poor working conditions for foreign fishermen remained common. Foreign fishermen recruited offshore were not entitled to the same labor rights, wages. 

Concerns about censorship were limited to efforts by the authorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to censor Taiwan media outlets based on the business interests of their parent companies in the PRC.  In May senior PRC officials used the fourth Beijing-Taiwan Media Forum to call on Taiwan media outlets to shape their coverage to promote PRC political priorities.  PRC authorities reinforced corporate pressure on media by using access denial to punish Taiwan media outlets whose coverage they deemed to be insufficiently consistent with PRC policies. Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements. Critics said product placement under the guise of news reporting undercut objective journalism, restricted journalists’ freedom, and undermined public trust in the media.   There were reports of official corruption during the year.  nine ranking officials, 72 mid-level, 115 low-level, and 11 elected people’s deputies had been indicted for corruption.。 The right to strike remained highly regulated. 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. For all workers, the law divides labor disputes into “rights disputes” and “adjustment disputes.” Workers are allowed to strike only in adjustment disputes, which include issues such as compensation and working schedules. The law forbids strikes in rights disputes related to violations of collective agreements and employment contracts.  Activists for LGBTI rights said due to victims’ reluctance to lodge formal complaints, discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases.  There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV/AIDS.

　

★  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 impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, particularly among companies with People’s Republic of China (PRC) investment, self-censorship continued.  Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements. Critics said product placement under the guise of news reporting undercut objective journalism, restricted journalists’ freedom, and undermined public trust in the media.     Mistreatment and poor working conditions for foreign fishermen remained common.   Foreign fishermen recruited offshore were not entitled to the same labor rights, wages, insurance, and pensions as those recruited locally.  Some labor brokers charged foreign workers exorbitant recruitment fees and used debts incurred from these fees in the source country as tools of coercion to subject the workers to debt bondage.  

★

★  US  state government - 2019 Trafficking in persons report, Jun. 2019:   in the last five years, human traffickers subject foreign men and women to forced labor and sex trafficking in Taiwan, and traffickers subject local men and women to forced labor and local women and children to sex trafficking. ...

★

★  US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices of 4-20-2018 is about the same as those in previous years ―  In 2017's and 2016's the US Country Reports,  principal human rights problems were labor exploitation of migrant workers by fishing companies, exploitation of domestic workers by brokerage agencies, and official corruption...    In 2014's report , Taiwan still suffers from human rights problems - corruption in high places, rapes and cases of domestic violence, etc.   Paris-based <Reporters Sans Frontieres>: Taiwan’s ranking for press freedom fell three notches from last year.  Freedom House: Taiwan's media freedom declines again (BBC: declines for consecutive 3 years).

★

　

　

　

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights"  on Bing , 2021-5-17, 6-24-2020, 3-12-2020, 10-17-2019

pic. :  No. 1 "Taiwan human rights"  on Bing , 6-24-2020

   pic. :  No.2 "Taiwanese human rights" on Yahoo search at 3-12-2020,  No. 2 "Taiwan human rights"  on Yahoo search engine, 7-9-2019

　

　

　

                   

pic. :  No. 2  "Taiwanese human rights"  on DuckDuckGo, 3-12-2020, No. 4 at 2021-5-17;   No.2  "Taiwan human rights"  , 7-9-2019
 pic. : No. 2  "Taiwanese human rights" on Yandex (Russia), 7-9-2019; No. 4 at 2021-5-17,  No.3 at 3-12-2020
　

　

　

pic. : No. 2 "Taiwanese human rights" on Yahoo search engine, 7-9-2019, 3-12-2020

　

　

                  

　

　

　


　

　

　

　

No. 1 "Taiwan human rights" on US Bing, 3-6-2019

 No. 1 "Taiwanese human rights" on US Bing, 10-1-2018

　
　

　

　

　

       

　

　

　

pic. : No. 2 "Taiwanese human rights" on Google Taiwan, 4-16-2019, on US Google, 4-14-2019;

top 3  "Taiwan human rights"  on Yandex (Russia),  7-9-2019;
 pic. left:  No. 4  "Taiwan human rights" on Baidu (China), 7-9-2019

　

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★  Taiwanese personality in CovID-19 flare-up


Chaos ? or immoral order !

 

● The Guardian, 2021-6-14:  Drew Thompson (a former US Defense officer) said if the Fosun offer is legitimate, refusing it is “entirely political”. “Pfizer and BioNTech have a huge incentive to ensure that the Fosun product is equivalent, so I would think there is no concern,”  “There’s no reason not to take it.” Lev Nachman, a visiting scholar at the National Taiwan University, said “It would be foolish to say no,".  theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/14/how-taiwan-struggle-for-covid-vaccines-is-inflaming-tensions-with-china
Why has Taiwan rejected Fosun's Germany BioNTech vaccine doses ?   Nachman says:  it still seemed “in the DPP’s electoral interest not to get any China vaccines”.   In brief, Taiwan government (DPP ruling party) cares its benefits more than human lives.  

　

● Taiwan gov. 2021-6-8:  90+%deaths are elders aged 60+, or elders with chronic record。 2021-6-11: in recent a month, 70% severe condition are elders aged 60+◦ But Taiwan's government give elders 11th~6th priority to get vaccinated, gives their officials top 2 priority - CTV news, 2021-6-16 law maker blasts this is not consistent with WHO directions, there's no any country giving officials such top priority.  Gov. denied publicizing the list which is questioned by media.

　

● China Times, Next TV news,  2021-6-14  
National Police Agency (police headquarter) and Taiwan central government abuse power to cover Taiwan Police College students jumping the long queue to have vaccination.   TaiNan city mayor explained they just follow "central gov. " to do this, so did KaoHsiung city government.   chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20210613004215-260402?chdtv 

ps: "central gov. " means Taiwan president or prime minister should be responsible for the illegal cheatings !

　

●  World famous media points out a relaxation of quarantine rules is loophole to flare-up.   For example,  New York Times, 2021-5-25: the emergence of more contagious variants in recent months, a relaxation of quarantine rules and a vaccine shortage gave the virus an opening...  nytimes.com/2021/05/25/arts/music/taiwan-covid-shutdown-music.html , France 24, 2021-6-13: A sudden surge in cases was traced back to a group of airline pilots who unknowingly brought the Alpha (British) variant of the virus into the country just as the government had eased quarantine measures. Quartz, 2021-6-12:  a cluster of infections broke out of a hotel housing quarantined pilots and started spreading throughout Taiwan’s largest cities.  But Taiwan's government still passed the buck on WanHua tea houses, according to United Daily, 2021-6-12  https://udn.com/news/story/122173/5527854?from=udn-catelistnews_ch2

　

●  United Daily, 2021-6-14, editorial: Taiwan president and prime minister made some wrong CovID-19 policy, they should take much more responsibilities ...  (總統和閣揆均知自己才是若干錯誤防疫決策的拍板者，他們要負更大責任) udn.com/news/story/7338/5530668


●   The order of vaccination Taiwan's government set has some gray zone, which results in politicians (VIPs including county mayor, tycoon on fields of media, industries, business, ranking officials, celebrity, etc) and staffs of all political parties were on the privilege black-list, which triggered public angers, and an open fight among political parties is ongoing.  Taiwan became a "The weak are the prey of the strong" jungle.   By contrast, French president Macron had not had vaccine, according to Reuters, Feb. 2021 reuters.com/article/us-eu-summit-macron/macron-says-he-would-take-astrazeneca-vaccine-if-it-was-offered-idUSKBN2AP2TM    Taipei University professor advices that only severely punishments, not moral suasion may stop the chaos of abusing power to get vaccination, based on Apple Daily, 2021-6-11, tw.appledaily.com/politics/20210611/MNWFF7NUXZFJRJXJPLNEYUHKDM/   and Liberty Times, 2021-6-11, talk.ltn.com.tw/article/paper/1453969   China Times, editorial, 2021-6-12,  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210611006023-262101?chdtv    United Daily 2021-6-11 udn.com/news/story/7339/5527272?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2
 ●

Some employee suspected to be infected must follow employer's order not to do test or keep working.  for example, CTV 2021-6-12 7:34am reports a major TV station ordered its employee to work under table after rapid test before PCR test, more than one employee then were found positive. The employer was slammed as "others' lives are not his concern (草菅人命)" .
● United Daily, editorial, Jun. 2021:Taiwanese patients in serious situation waiting for one week but failed to get Remdesivir, a specific remedy for cure coronavirus, in spite of that CDC declaring adequate Remdesivir medication for patients.   In short, the stock is always enough because severe patients can't get it in time.  (udn.com/news/story/7339/5513808?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2  楊哲銘). 

● CTV news, 2021-6-9: In 2020, only one hospital, National Taiwan University Hospital, can use Remdesivir, in earlier this year, all hospitals need CDC's approval (was rejected quite often) and usually take 8 ~ 12 hours to run procedure before patients can have it, sometimes it's too late.
 Taiwan national insurance system, cares money more than feller nationals'  lives.

● New York Post  4-25-2020 : Taiwan deals with CovID-19 with "a lot more authoritarian.", "almost everyone is tracked.".  Taiwanese govt. responded at 4-28-2020 that Taiwanese would like to cooperate with our policy.  But the truth is Taiwan's "Big Brother" already sneaked into numerous families in the name of  Epidemic Prevention, by an injunction violating Tort Law and domineering over Constitution (凌駕憲法的侵權禁令) , without having noticed all nationals, in accordance with United Daily, editorial at 5-7-2020.    United Daily 7-16-2020: To keep good record,  Taiwan takes 'ostrich' strategy (avoid mass testing).

● GT, 2021-5-23: Taiwan public criticize (Taiwanese government) DPP authorities for suspected concealment of COVID-19 data   globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1224250.shtml
●
CTV TV news, 2021-6-9: privilege people get vaccinated.  United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-11: officials skip the queue to get vaccinated. 
 Next TV, 2021-6-11: Air-force hospital vaccinated privilege people.CTV news (中視), 2021-6-9 : Lawmaker slammed abusing power to vaccination, just like Taiwan's lousy judiciary ("有錢判生 沒錢判死"  ―  "有錢免排  沒錢等埋" ) .   FTV news, 2021-6-9 (8:00pm ~) criticizes Taipei government for vaccinating privilege.
●
CTS, 2021-6-12: National Taiwan University Hospital (Taiwan's No.1 hospital) system was involved.  Democratic representative blasts Taipei mayor treats vaccines as a favor to those on same league. 
● Global Times 2021-6-4, etc :  "Taiwan authorities have no intention or power to fight the epidemic at all."  "Taiwan's COVID-19 fight has been a mess and the Taiwan authorities can only play tricks to make up for their mistakes"  globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1225426.shtml

● United Daily, 2021-6-3, editorial:  How ugly Taiwanese government shift the blames again and again -  Taiwan relaxed quarantine rule leading to a big corona virus loop hole and death rate above global average, but now blames the China Airline's internal control, and disappears the quarantine rule meeting record.   In addition, they shifted blames about Taiwanese diplomat's suicide event  in Japan, imported poison pork, train crashed incident, and so on...   (從駐大阪辦事處長自殺、萊豬進口、太魯閣號等一連串事件，人們看到執政當局對錯誤政策皆推託了事 ，政府已因循成風 udn.com/news/story/7338/5504882?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2  )
●
The China Times, editorial, 2021-5-18: With an eye to keeping the success story intact, Taiwanese government ignored experts' advices for mass tests, and would rather propaganda good records in epidemic prevention  ( Chinese: 最令人憤怒的是，從去年至今，專家不斷呼籲要增加篩檢才能掌控病毒動態，但蔡政府寧願抱著防疫佳績進行大內宣，生怕多篩多出包 ...如果我們之前對高風險人員定期篩檢，進行廣篩及入境普篩，眼前的危機可能根本不會發生。   chinatimes.com/opinion/20210517004162-262101?chdtv   ) 
●
Taiwan's government only got a little vaccine doses, but deliberately to place obstacles (certificate of authorization is needed) for civil organisations, such as Foxconn founder Gou, some Buddhist groups, etc  to purchase Western vaccines which will be donated to fellow citizens.  According to the law (《藥事法》和《特定藥物專案核准製造及輸入辦法》) , in case of emergency, certificate of authorization is not required.  United Daily, editorial, 2021-6-4 criticizes Taiwan's gov. creating difficulties for Foxconn is to save its political face, the officials ignoring more and more deaths,  could entitles 'state enemy'.  udn.com/news/story/7338/5507706?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2   UDN, editorial 2021-6-11 and China Times, editorial, 2021-6-11 
udn.com/news/story/7338/5524888?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2   If so, those officials and politicians are suspected to commit murder.

●
China Times, editorial, 2021-5-17:  The government is still trying to hide the location of some infected cases ( 中央流行疫情指揮中心還在隱瞞個案位置，不再公布足跡， 現在因應得一團亂，完全沒有章法，還企圖粉飾太平)。  chinatimes.com/opinion/20210517004162-262101?chdtv    United Daily News, editorial, 2021-5-16: The more critical situation is, the more vague and brief information the gov. publicizes ( 疫情愈是戰雲密布，指揮中心發布的訊息反而變得愈發簡略而含糊，哪些人因何確診、足跡為何，全都避而不談)  udn.com/news/story/7338/5462692  
●   Former medical chief Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) criticizes so called level 3 alert of a four-tier system is a fake name, youngsters and middle-age people still need to take transportation tools to work and then risks their health , according to Apple Daily, 2021-6-11.
●
Taiwan needs nurses.  But several hundreds nurses run away from their front-line position.

● China Times, 3-18-2021, editorial: Taiwan's vaccine diplomacy is sad -  expert analysis, Taiwan is planning to donate about NT$ 2 hundred million to Paraguay
( last holdout in South America) to get COVID vaccines, therefore, the covering in Paraguay will be 28.6%, in contrast, that in Taiwan is only 0.5%. chinatimes.com/opinion/20210318004639-262103?chdtv


●  Guardian (UK), 10-31-2020: Now, Taipei's people browse, busk and greet each other with handshakes and hugs. It feels normal.  However, Taiwan has already "exported" dozens COVID-19 infected cases to a number of foreign countries, not sure yet who should be responsible for this, according to United Daily, editorial, 10-31-2020. https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4977422?from=udn-catehotnews_ch2 and United Daily, editorial, 12-24-2020 : Taiwan's longest Covid-free streak was a myth and was questioned.

● CTV  2021-6-12: a desk clerk girl in Mitsukoshi dept store, largest Japanese mall in Taiwan,  had CovID-19 symptom, disorder of small, and coughed for 20 days, the company ignored it, afterwards, she was a confirmed CovID-19 case,        youtube.com/watch?v=uddB_K7B60M

But Next TV news, 2021-6-14: some employee said not arranged to take rapid test yet

　

★

　

　

　

● Horrible judiciary in Taiwan !


● The United Daily, 10-31-2020, https://udn.com/news/story/7321/4977543 
      Taiwan's judiciary spends lots of money on advertising themselves, but, the truth us Taiwan's justice always made a detour whenever encountering the power and the rich people. (司法砸錢宣傳 遇權貴卻轉彎)   The Supreme Court (最高法院大法庭) has many cases to solve, but no one wants to touch sensitive issues.

　

●  The United Daily, 7-14-2020,  udn.com/news/story/7339/4699302
     Taiwan's president has never talked about anti-corruption, in recent years, the prosecutors and investigation gov. have not solved any big corruption cases, unlike lots of crack-downs in old days, instead, they focus on New National Security cases.  No wonder Taiwan president insists abolishing Special Investigation Division (SPD) .

　

●  The Liberty Times,  7-1-2020  ( Avoid judicial monsters )  :  The main reason that the public do not trust the justice is lacking of external supervision (外部監督力量) and hence quite many controversial legal judgments were out there。https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1383385

　

●  The China Times, 5-27-2020 : The public trust on Taiwan's prosecutors was suffered severe injuries from the Minister's "guides" and "leads"  (部長下指導棋重傷檢察公信力)   
       https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20200527000524-260118

　

●  The United Daily, 5-16-2020, https://udn.com/news/story/121092/4567513   (從人權到新威權 變調的司法正義)

       The ruling party DPP has been more "authoritarian" than the way "authoritarian" government in old days was, no wonder the first thing the public have not satisfied with is the judicial reform.  Many question the judicial system was reduced to be the government's tool ― to strengthen monitoring the public, and many worries, their political opponents   (過去四年許多作為卻比過去威權更威權，立法、執法上不斷加強對人民的監控，司法不斷被質疑淪為掌權者工具， 司法改革卻是人民最不滿意的重中之重 )

　

●  The Liberty Times,  7-1-2020 劍青檢改：Taiwan's Control Yuan was reduced to political "hit-man".  https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1383386
　

●  The United Daily, 5-20-2019    How long can Taiwan judiciary stand being lynched and tortured ? ( 司法還能忍受多久的凌遲？)

       The Control Yuan (監察院) and the Prime Ministry (行政院) repeatedly have taken judiciary as sacrifice-offering  (司法當祭品)

　

●  The Liberty Times, 5-11-2020    Taiwan's prosecutors should not be haughty, arrogant and condescending to make themselves "superior or powerful".  Enforcement officers should have empathy in mind and being humble.  https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/society/paper/1287753  (檢察官不能高高在上」顏大和批有些辦案沒溫度)  

　

●  The United Daily, 5-4-2020:  Even law circle people are not satisfied with Taiwan's judicial reform    https://udn.com/news/story/7339/4539908

　

Besides, according to Yahoo ! 520-survey  ( May 14, 2017, 12:10pm 寰宇 TV news ), 38.6% citizens think Taiwanese human rights status getting worse, 38.2% think nothing changed. 
At March 1, 2013, the review panel (10 int'l experts in Human Rights, e.g., 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, etc) urged better corporate responsibility and transitional justice, more transparency in government decision-making on human rights issues...

At Jan. 29, 2015,  Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je in <Foreign Policy> commented Taiwanese democracy: Does Taiwan have democracy? Real democracy means politics belongs to the people. Taiwanese politics belongs to corporations and is controlled by political parties.  In 2016, corruption and diminish political influence in the judiciary  problems remained.

According to 2013 survey (Dec. 10, 2013) conducted by The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD ) & SHU that shows a "F" score (rating 2.7/5.0 points) on overall human rights status ―  in decline for a third consecutive year (judiciary, fair trials. non-corruption, communication privacy, health rights... all fail).  According to 2012 survey (Dec. 4, 2012) by the Taipei-based Chinese Association for Human Rights, 43.4% of the respondents rated Taiwan's overall performance in human rights protection this year as either “bad” or “very bad” , only 38 percent of Taiwanese held positive views on Taiwan's human rights of this year, which is far worse than 57 percent of last year... <Apple daily News> comments Taiwan's freedom of speech is in retreat, and scholars worry about Taiwan's democracy doesn't work well, <Taiwan News> uses the headline "Taiwan's human rights get thumbs-down in poll!"...
 According to another 2012 survey (Dec. 7, 2012) of public opinion by the government-affiliated Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Public feels Taiwan's human rights deteriorating... Official corruption, the government’s inability to fill people’s needs and media independence were top public concerns...
According to DPP's poll in Human Rights Day (Dec. 10, 2012), 62.3 % of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with the government's protection of human rights, 67 % of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with the government's protection of judicial human rights (司法人權), 64.9% of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with political  human rights. (政治人權)....

According to an opinion survey (Dec. 9, '10), in general,  ordinary Taiwanese people gave "Fail" score to Taiwan's human rights  &  democratic freedom ......, Another survey  (Dec. 8, 2011) expressed "scholars criticized :  Taiwan has moved backward on all issues of human rights", the score in the past 3 years is "Fail". (reported by The Liberty Times)

★ world view ...  as below   ★ local media view ... please click
◎

Brief

  issued by
 org. / institute

statement/review/comment

remark
justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released at 3-13-2019

 justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians (in <Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government> section), the impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, particularly among companies with People’s Republic of China (PRC) investment, self-censorship continued.  Journalists said they faced pressure from management to submit news stories to complement or support the content of paid advertisements. Critics said product placement under the guise of news reporting undercut objective journalism, restricted journalists’ freedom, and undermined public trust in the media.  Victims of rape and domestic violence did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) 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.  NGOs raised concerns about online sexual exploitation of children.  Foreign and PRC-born spouses were reportedly targets of social discrimination outside and, at times, inside the home.   Discrimination against LGBTI persons was more widespread than suggested by the number of court cases.  Employment discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS continues, Taipei officials pressured a magazine reporter to drop an investigative report about the city’s breach of personal information for more than 3,000 AIDS patients.  Labor laws do not cover domestic household workers, leaving them vulnerable to labor exploitation.   Foreign workers were most susceptible to forced labor, especially when serving as crew members on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels.   Mistreatment and poor working conditions for foreign fishermen remained common.   Foreign fishermen recruited offshore were not entitled to the same labor rights, wages, insurance, and pensions as those recruited locally.  Some labor brokers charged foreign workers exorbitant recruitment fees and used debts incurred from these fees in the source country as tools of coercion to subject the workers to debt bondage.  

　

　

 　
The most significant human rights issues included corruption and exploitation of foreign workers including forced labor. USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,   4-20-2018 ●  concern about the impact of the concentration of media ownership on freedom of the press, particularly among companies with PRC investment.

 business leaders in Taiwan raised concerns that journalists whose reports were perceived as hurting the interests of businesses could face retaliation in the form of lawsuits and other threats.

● corruption continues, but  the justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians.

● Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalizes rape, including spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various NGO and academic studies estimated the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.

● There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV/AIDS

● Labor laws do not cover domestic workers, leaving them vulnerable to labor exploitation. Forced labor occurred in such sectors as domestic services, fishing, farming, manufacturing, and construction. Foreign workers were most susceptible to forced labor, especially when serving as crew members on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels. Some labor brokers charged foreign workers exorbitant recruitment fees and used debts incurred from these fees in the source country as tools of coercion to subject the workers to debt bondage... Violations of legal working hours were common in all sectors.

● Household caregivers and domestic workers are not protected under the law and are not covered by a mandated minimum wage, overtime pay, limits on the workday or workweek, minimum breaks, or vacation regulations. Brokerage agencies often require 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 them vulnerable to debt bondage.

● numerous reports of exploitation and poor working conditions of foreign fishing crews on Taiwan-flagged long-haul vessels.

　

 　
Principal human rights problems reported : exploitation of foreign workers,  domestic violence; and official corruption. USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,   3-3-2017 Principal human rights problems reported : exploitation of foreign workers, including foreign crewmembers on long-haul fishing vessels and household caregivers; domestic violence; and official corruption.

Other main concerns : some media self-censorship with regard to China; vote buying; violations of legal working hours; lack of barrier-free spaces and accessible transportation systems for persons with disabilities, particularly outside Taipei; a rise in child abuse and gender-biased sex selection.

　

●Judiciary: Some legal scholars and politicians said the justice ministry was insufficiently independent and conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians. The Control Yuan is responsible for impeachment of officials in cases of wrongdoing.

●Corruption: 201 officials, including 23 high-ranking officials, on corruption charges.  A survey conducted in July by the Crime Research Center of National Chung Cheng University found that 76 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with authorities’ anticorruption efforts.

　

●Women: Rape and Domestic Violence:  spousal rape, and domestic violence. Many victims did not report the crime for fear of social stigmatization, and various nongovernmental organization (NGO) and academic studies estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.  Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than men, earning on average 83 percent of their male counterparts’ income

● Discrimination: Foreign and PRC-born spouses were targets of discrimination both inside and outside the home. There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against persons with HIV/AIDS

● Immigrants: Types of exploitation included migrant workers becoming victims of domestic violence and official corruption.   Human rights groups had long protested that the law left migrant workers open to exploitation from third-party brokers.

　

 　
Taiwan  retreated in Corruption Perceptions Index <Transparency International>,  Germany, 1-25-2017 Taiwan  received score 61, one point less than the previous year, on the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2016 published by Transparency International.   World No.1 countries, Denmark and New Zealand got score 90.   Singapore got the highest score (84) and highest ranking (No.7) among Asian countries,  Hong Kong at No.15 with 77 points and Japan at  No.20 with 72 points. 　
Taiwan's press freedom at 45th place Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), 4-26-2017 　

●Taiwan’s situation as “media freedom on hold,” stating that “the main threat to media freedom comes from China, which has been exerting growing economic and political pressure on the Taiwanese media.”

● Local government officials are also directly interfering in the editorial policies of state-owned media,

● RSF opened their first Asia bureau headquarters in Taipei in 2017.

●  Top rankings :  19 Australia  18 portugal  17 Slovakia  16 Germany  15 Luxemburg  14 Ireland  13 New Zealand  12  Estonia  11 Austria 10 Iceland  9 Belgium 8 Jamaica  7  Swiss  6  Costa Rica  5 Nederland  4  Denmark  3  Finland   2 Sweden  1  Norway

　

 　
principal human rights problems were labor exploitation of migrant workers by fishing companies, exploitation of domestic workers by brokerage agencies, and official corruption. USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,   4-13-2016 ●Taiwan's judicial system suffered from some corruption.  Although authorities made efforts to eliminate corruption and diminish political influence in the judiciary, some residual problems remained.  Some political commentators and academics also publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high-profile and politically sensitive cases...
●total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police.  Women were promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than their male counterparts.
●Gov. infringed on freedom of the press, violated the journalists’ human rights, and were meant to deter media coverage of protests. Censorship or Content Restrictions: Local academics and media activists alleged that self-censorship continued as some media chose to present news stories in favor of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) due to political considerations and the influence of local businesses with close ties to the PRC.
 ●Women’s groups reported that judicial authorities were sometimes dismissive of sexual harassment complaints.
●Persons with disabilities and HIV-positive persons remained vulnerable to discrimination in employment and occupation. The unemployment rate of persons with disabilities was much higher than that of individuals without disabilities. Non-profit and advocacy groups said many public and private sector employers opted to pay fines rather than meeting hiring quotas for persons with disabilities. There were also reports of indirect discrimination in the hiring process, such as employers failing to provide assistive devices in pre-employment tests.		 　
Press Freedom score 24.37 - worse than 24.83 on 2015's report Paris-based <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, Reporters without Borders), 4-21-2016 Taiwan was ranked No. 51 (score 24.37 - worse than 24.83 on 2015's report) according to World Press Freedom Index 2016 released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).   The main threat to media freedom comes from China, which has been exerting growing economic and political pressure on the Taiwanese media. The editorial line of some privately-owned media has changed radically and it is no longer rare to find media outlets taking a line similar to the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda. Journalistic independence is also threatened by Taiwanese officials who interfere directly in the editorial policies of the state-owned media. 　
An comment article by Official representatives from 19 countries,   at Human Rights Day 2016 representatives in Taipei/ Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech, Denmark, Euro., Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italia, Luxembourg, Holland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss, UK Human Rights Day as a reminder, Let's get together to be human rights defenders fighting against prejudice, hatred, and discrimination.

We should commit ourselves to protect human kind's core value  ―  basic rights in 《ICESCR》and《ICCPR》, regardless race, 、gender、appetence、 religion and ideology.

In 2013, the members ( int'l experts) of the review panel examined Taiwan's reports regarding 《ICESCR》and《ICCPR》, and gave Taiwanese government 81 advices and review items, only several (less than 10) among them were adopted and improved ...   We also particularly concern about death penalty in Taiwan ...   (brief, translation - full text pls ref to Apple Daily 12-10-2016)

　

 printed in Apple Daily, at Human Rights Day, 12-10-2016
politically motivated decision that does not deliver justice. <AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL >, 4-5-2016 The execution of six people in Taiwan is a regressive decision, politically motivated decision that does not deliver justice. / Apple Daily 4-7-2016. 　
Principal problems:  labor exploitation of migrant &  domestic workers and official corruption. USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices,   6.26.2015 Principal human rights problems /  labor exploitation of migrant workers by fishing companies, exploitation of domestic workers by brokerage agencies, and official corruption.

●Speech freedom / protesters occupied the Executive Yuan. Police forcibly evicted them the next day using batons and water cannon. According to media reports, at least 174 persons, including 119 police officers, were injured in the incident.   Local media have reported incidents of police obstruction and violence directed at journalists who were covering protests against administration policies.  Local academics and media activists alleged that self-censorship continued as some media chose to present news stories in favor of the PRC due to political considerations and the influence of local businesses with close ties to the PRC.
●Corruption and Lack of Transparency in GovernmentShare/  Some legal scholars and politicians alleged that the Ministry of Justice was not sufficiently independent, claiming that ministry authorities conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians.  authorities indicted 687 officials, including 69 high-ranking officials, on corruption charges during the year. There were no reports of impunity.
●Women/ 7,175 reports filed for rape or sexual assault. As of November courts indicted 810 persons...total number of sexual assaults was seven to 10 times the number reported to police...  women continued to be promoted less frequently, occupied fewer management positions, and worked for lower pay than did their male counterparts.
●HIV and AIDS Social Stigma/  There was reported discrimination, including employment discrimination, against people with HIV/AIDS
　		 　
Taiwan does not deliver justice London-based Amnesty International organization , 6-5-2015 The execution of six people in Taiwan today is a regressive decision that does not deliver justice, Amnesty International said. ...“The public outrage at the horrific murder of an innocent schoolgirl is totally understandable and the perpetrators of such heinous crimes must face justice, but the death penalty is never the answer,”... 　
calling again on Taiwan to introduce an immediate moratorium on executions The EU ( the European Union) , 6-5-2015 The EU again calls on the authorities in Taiwan to introduce an immediate moratorium on executions as recommended by international experts in March 2013 following Taiwan's first human rights report, and as observed in Taiwan from 2006 to April 2010. 　
Taiwan's press-freedom score from last year's 24 down to 27, ranked no.48 ,  fell 1 place from last year's <Freedom House>, USA  ( a Washington-based think tank ),  4-29-2015

　

 the vigorous and diverse press reports aggressively on government policies and alleged official wrongdoings.  But, political polarization, self-censorship, and indirect communist Chinese influence somewhat limit the diversity of opinions in mainstream media.  Journalists occasionally face pressure to self-censor on topics important to Red Chinese government.  Many Taiwanese media owners have business connection in China, or like to earn ads. revenue from mainland Chinese companies, making them wary of upsetting Beijing.  Besides, hackers attacked those media criticizing Chinese government, although the authority took investigation on that, Taiwan's press freedom score and ranking position fell.  ref. Liberty Times, 4-30-2015
 Concerns remained in the freedom of peaceful assembly, etc. London-based Amnesty International , 2-25-2015  A.I. concerns included Taiwan’s continued use of capital punishment ( continued to impose death sentences and carry out executions.), the freedom of peaceful assembly, prison conditions, housing and land rights issues, and gender discrimination. 　
Taiwan's Press Freedom Index fell 1 place Paris-based <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, Reporters without Borders)

Feb. 13, 2015

　

 Taiwan fell one notch from that in 2014's report, according to World Press Freedom Index 2015 released yesterday by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Taiwan ranked no.51.
Taiwan still suffers from the exploitation of migrant workers and from corruption in high places, rapes and cases of domestic violence, etc. The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013, released at Feb. 27, 2014 　

(1) corruption : 573 Taiwanese officials — including 39 “high-ranking” officials — were indicted on corruption charges. Among those indicted include former Executive Yuan Secretary-General Lin Yi-shih (林益世).

(2) Judiciary : the judicial system suffered from corruption, and that the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high-profile and politically sensitive cases had been questioned.

(3) prison: The case of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) continued to receive high-profile attention from domestic and international human rights activists who accused the authorities of political persecution and criticized the conditions of his imprisonment,

(4) privacy: some legal experts and politicians alleged the Ministry of Justice was not sufficiently independent, claiming that ministry authorities conducted politically motivated investigations of politicians.

Taiwanese authorities illegally wiretapped lawmakers of both the ruling Kuomintang and the DPP during an investigation that led to a KMT attempt to revoke Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s (王金平) party membership.  The high-profile case of Wang's alleged intervention in a legal case on behalf of opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘).

(5) speech and the press:  were generally free, pressure from China and from local businessmen had led to some self-censorship: e.g., media don't report that Gallup poll that found Taiwanese were pessimistic about their daily life, etc.

(6) many rapes and cases of domestic violence were not reported because victims were socially stigmatized, noting that the number of sexual assaults was estimated to be 10 times the number reported to Police. About 19,174 children and teenagers were said to suffer abuse during the year and there were children under the age of 18 engaged in prostitution.

(7)Death of Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) has drawn speculations on alleged use of torture in Taiwan's military.

(8) foreign household caregivers and domestic workers in Taiwan are unable to enjoy the same rights enjoyed by their Taiwanese counterparts, including a minimum wage and/or overtime pay, limits on workdays and/or workweeks, break entitlements, as well as vacations.

　

 　
Taiwan's media freedom  declines   <Freedom House>, USA
  ( a Washington-based think tank ),

 May 2, 2014		 Taiwan fell 1 places from the 2013's report.

Taiwan has been ranked 48th in the world for media freedom and labeled "free" by the US-based NGO Freedom House.

 "Freedom in the world 2015" (Jan. 29, 2015) : Taiwan's score on "Evolution of Freedom" is same as 2014.

　

 Globally, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden tied for first place, while North Korea came in last at 197th.
Taiwan’s ranking for press freedom fell three notches from last year to 50th  Paris-based <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, Reporters without Borders), a press freedom watchdog body

Feb. 13, 2014

  according to the World Press Freedom Index 2014 released yesterday by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The retreat in Taiwan’s global ranking reflected China’s growing economic clout, which has allowed Beijing to extend its influence over the media in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, “which had been largely spared political censorship until recently,”

The US was singled out for the conviction of WikiLeaks whistle-blower Bradley Manning, its pursuit of Edward Snowden, a former contractor at the US National Security Agency, and the secret seizure of telephone records from The Associated Press.

RSF said the US had suffered “one of the most significant declines” in press freedom last year, dropping 13 places to 46th in the 180-country index

　

 Finland retained the top position in the overall list, ahead of the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg and Andorra.

　
Taiwan's corruption index declined

High-position officials in serious corruption status

PERC’s 2014 Report on Corruption in Asia

Asian Intelligence Reports Index

Mar. 19, 2014

 　

Taiwan's judiciary system failed to strike systematic corruption, e.g., Tai-chung High Court judge Hu (胡景彬) taking bribery.

Asia's ranking status:
1 Singapore (score 1.6),  2 Japan(2.08) , 3 Australia(2.55) , 4 Hong Kong(2.95), 5 USA(3.50) , 6 Macau(3.65) , 7 Malaysia(5.25),  8 TW(5.31),  9 S. Korea (7.05), 10 Chn(7.10)

http://www.asiarisk.com/subscribe/exsum1.pdf

　

 　
Index of Economic Freedom, 2014 <Heritage Foundation> & <WallStreet Journal>,  Jan. 15, 2014

　

Taiwan's declined in the following index :

Freedom From Corruption ( 59.7 declined); Business Freedom (93.9); Monetary Freedom(81.7);Labor Freedom(53.1);Government Spending(84.7);Fiscal Freedom(80.3)

Taiwan has significant improvements in financial freedom and investment freedom outweighing small declines in six of the 10 economic freedoms including freedom from corruption...

　

 2015 Index of Economic Freedom -  Taiwan overall score 75.1,  a relatively high level of perceived corruption and a rigid labor market still restrain Taiwan’s overall economic freedom.
The 2013 Global Corruption Barometer reported 36% of people (surveyed in TW) who has used any of eight of government services in the past year had paid a bribe (the number is higher than global average number).

Taiwan's worst corruption institutions/units are: the Legislative Yuan, political parties, Taiwan's media, judicial systems (judges, prosecutors), public servants, police and the military.

 <Transparency International>, Germany, July 9, 2013 The finding of 2013 Global Corruption Barometer (GCB, by TI Chinese Taipei branch):
(1)The came-out worst corruption institution:  the Legislative Yuan (75% of respondents feel it was affected by corruption).
(2) The political parties (74%).
(3) Taiwan's media (62%).
(4) Judiciary (57%).
(5) Police, the military, public officials and civil servants all are finishing at 56 percent.
(6) Non-governmental organizations (31%).
As regard the changes of corruption in Taiwan, 48% respondents thought the problem has decreased a little.		 The Gallop Poll has interviewed 114,000 people in 107 countries all over the world.

CNA(7.22): IT's Taipei office confirms a  plan for new corruption poll

Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2014 (Dec. 2, 2014):    Taiwan got score 61 (same as previous years, 2014, 2013, 2012).
Taiwan urged to scrap death penalty, improve rights...  (March 1, 2013) The members of the review panel also include 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.  ◎ urged better corporate responsibility and transitional justice, more transparency in government decision-making on human rights issues
 ◎ take steps to block mergers or acquisitions of news channels or newspapers
 ◎ urges the government to reduce prisoner numbers by introducing less restrictive provisions on pre-trial bail and parole, and...
 ◎ urged improved rights for Taiwan's migrant workers, indigenous people, women, gay and transgender people, and people with disabilities.
 and so on		  CNA, Focus Taiwan, etc, Mar 1, 2013
Taiwan's parliament & 1/4 Taiwanese have been listened BBC (UK), Sept. 28, 2013,   The Apple Daily,  the Liberty Times,  Sept. 29, 2013, etc Taiwan's parliament (Legislative Yuan, or say The House of Lords + The House of Commons) switchboard has been listened for 3-4 months (特偵監聽國會總機) by special investigation unit. 　
Taiwan ruling party hit by scandal, rifts, anger over wiretapping Washington Post, Sept. 12, 2013,
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 30, 2013, and other media in China, Japan, etc		 Recent allegations of influence peddling by Taiwanese politicians, driven in part by investigators' wiretaps of one lawmaker's cell phone conversations, have stirred fear and paranoia among some political leaders.

"Wiretapping, China Policy Fuel Taiwan Protesters' Discontent"
As with Edward Snowden’s revelation of extensive wiretapping in the U.S., the incident has raised fears of state invasion of privacy in Taiwan. It has also stirred up bitter memories of the island’s era of martial law under the KMT that lasted from 1949 until 1987, during which dissent was not tolerated.


       
The principal human rights problems reported in Taiwan last year were judicial corruption and violence against women and children. The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, released at April 19, 2013

★ The report’s 10-page analysis said that “a growing number of observers claimed Chen was being mistreated,” but that authorities had said the treatment Chen was receiving was adequate and that his condition did not warrant parole on medical grounds.  the report did say that the 2009 trial of Chen and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), had heightened public scrutiny of pre-indictment and pretrial detention, prosecutorial leaks, other possible prosecutorial misconduct and transparency in judicial procedures.
The report said that political commentators and academics had publicly questioned the impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high-profile and politically sensitive cases.

★principal human rights problems: “Although the authorities made efforts to eliminate corruption and diminish political influence in the judiciary, some residual problems remained,” the report said.

★Another serious problem in Taiwan was rape, including spousal rape, and violence against women. “Because victims were socially stigmatized, many did not report the crime, and the MOI estimated that the total number of sexual assaults was 10 times the number reported to police,”...

There may also be a problem with sexual harassment in the workplace.... judicial authorities remained dismissive of sexual harassment complaints,” .

★The report said that child abuse also continued to be a widespread problem in Taiwan.

★The report also said there seemed to be discrimination, including in work environments, against people with HIV/AIDS. (ps1: worse than UK's princess Diana or China, ps2: Taipei's social housing policy rejects AIDS patients - 3.2.2013 apple daily news )

　

 The nation’s independent press, an effective judiciary and a functioning democratic political system combined to protect freedom of speech and the press, the report said.
Hung's death has sparkled public outrage in Taiwan and mass protests demanding justice and reforms in the military (CNA, China Post). <CNN>, August 3, 2013 Near a quarter million Taiwanese people marched and gathered in front of the Presidential Office building on the night of Aug. 3rd (local time) demanding justice for the tragic death of young corporal Hung Chung-Chu (洪仲丘) and the improvement of human rights issues in the country's military, Republic of China Army (RCA). 　
Taiwanese soldier was murdered by Taiwanese government. <CNN>, July 15, 2013 CNN, ireport, July 19, 2013:

Taiwanese soldier Hung Chung-Chu was murdered by Taiwanese army.

 ps: people heard lots of this kind of story happened before.
Taiwan's freedom of the press score drops one point from previous year's report.

Taiwan's ranking (No.8) in Asia & Pacific fell one place from last year (No.7).

　

 <Freedom House>, USA
  ( a Washington-based think tank ),

 May 1, 2013		 The main reason Taiwan's freedom of press  falling one point from last year's 25 because of a worse legal environment, (Taiwanese government has put off approving a license for the establishment of a new television station whose owner's financial status turned out to be unsustainable, so must give up the plan  ). Political polarization, self-censorship and indirect Chinese influence limit the diversity of opinions represented in Taiwan’s mainstream media, according to a new report from the US-based watchdog Freedom House. world ranking : 47th. Taiwan was judged to have a “free” press with an overall “freedom score” of 26 points, just one point less free than the previous year.
Freedom House concerns Taiwan media reports show a strong tendency/bias on some  political parties. <Freedom House>, USA
  ( a Washington-based think tank ),

 May 31, 2013		 Taiwan media reflect diverse perspectives and report sayings of government's corruption and government policies.  However, Taiwan media show a strong preference/bias on some political party, some candidates. 　

Justice system

In August, the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office again decided not to pursue charges against those responsible for airman Chiang Kuo-ching’s wrongful execution in 1997.

　

Amnesty International , London, UK,
 report 2013

http://www.amnesty.org/en/
region/taiwan/report-2013

　

 Taiwan carried out six executions. As of December, prosecution and defence lawyers were required to debate sentencing and related issues in death penalty cases before the Supreme Court. Indigenous people were caught in protracted land disputes and the authorities failed to protect their rights as the post-2009 typhoon reconstruction process continued. Media monopolies expanded further. A gender equality education curriculum was implemented after a year’s delay. 　
Taiwan ranked 47th in the world in terms of press freedom, Taiwan fell two places from the 2012 in the global rankings.  Paris-based <Reporters Sans Frontieres> (RSF, Reporters without Borders), a press freedom watchdog body

Jan. 30, 2013

The same three European countries that headed the index last year hold the top three positions again this year. For the third year running, Finland has distinguished itself as the country that most respects media freedom. It is followed by the Netherlands and Norway.

USA No. 32 ( note 18,22),  NZ 8, Swiss 14, Germany 17, Belgium 21, Canada 20, UK 29, China no. 173.
　

the watchdog was concerned about the protests in Taiwan last year against the Want Want China Times Group’s (旺旺中時集團) bid to buy into another media group.

In Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, Taiwan was ranked 37th, dropping five spots from last year .

 <Transparency International>, Germany,  Dec. 5, 2012 (Reuters) - In Transparency International's 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for first place out of 176 countries - meaning they were perceived to have the lowest levels of state sector corruption. Sweden was fourth with Singapore ranked as fifth.
(CNA) Taiwan was ranked 37th among 176 nations and regions in an annual global index on the perception of corruption in the public sector, dropping five spots from last year, In 2011, Taiwan was ranked 32nd among 183 nations and territories. 		　
Taiwan has breached its commitments: EU <BBC> , <Amnesty International> UK ,  <European Parliament> members
 Dec. 22, 2012

Taiwan has executed six death row inmates, the first use of the death penalty this year...

Campaigning human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the move as "cold-blooded killing".

The executions - by shooting - "made a mockery of the authorities' stated commitment to abolish the death penalty", Amnesty said in a statement.

"It is abhorrent to justify taking someone's life because prisons are overcrowded or the public's alleged support for the death penalty," the statement said.

　

 　
France has condemned the execution of six death-row inmates by Taiwan  French Ministry of Foreign , and European Affairs,
Dec. 26, 2012

A statement issued by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said Paris “condemns the execution of six sentenced to death in Taiwan [on] December 21, 2012."

France urged the restoration of the moratorium on capital punishment observed in Taiwan between 2006 and 2010 and called on the country to “open a national debate on the future of the death penalty.”... The international human rights group criticized the Taiwanese government for breaking its previous commitments to abolish the death penalty and failing to fulfill its international legal obligations under the UN human rights covenants of which it is a signatory — the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights...
　

　

 　
Taiwan was tied with Poland, Slovenia and Trinidad and Tobago for 47th in Freedom House's 2012 Freedom of the Press rankings, Among Asia-Pacific countries, Taiwan ranked seventh. Taiwan received a total score of 25 points, the same as in 2011.

　

 <Freedom House> ( a Washington-based think tank ), USA, May 1, 2012 Taiwan scored an 8 for its legal environment (1 point worse than in last year's survey), a 9 for its political environment (no change), and an 8 for its economic environment (1 point better than last year).

 Other concerns include the use of criminal defamation laws against a journalist and blogger as well as a proposed merger that could reduce media diversity."   incidents of news content produced by China's state-run media outlets appearing in Taiwanese newspapers "under less than transparent conditions." ......
　

　

 Finland, Norway and Sweden tied for No. 1 with 10 points
Taiwan handed down more death sentences in 2011 than in any year in the past decade, despite stating that its long-term goal was abolition of the death penalty. Restrictions on freedom of assembly remained, with no progress made towards a relaxation of existing, stringent laws. The authorities did little to protect the housing rights of farmers across the island, at times colluding in their eviction. <Amnesty International>, London, UK,  annual report The State of the World's Human Rights 2012, May 24, 2012 Despite continued public demand, there was no progress on the government’s proposal to amend the Assembly and Parade Law. The law allows police to forcibly disperse peaceful protesters, and places other restrictions on peaceful demonstrations.

Migrant workers were unable to freely change employer. Domestic migrant workers and care-givers were often forced to work without adequate rest. The media exposed abuse and exploitation of migrant workers by government officials and celebrities.

　

 　

 it highlighted the problem of corruption in Taiwan, saying more than 400 officials were indicted on corruption charges in the past year, including 54 high-ranking officials.

A human rights report released by the U.S. Department of State was generally positive about the situation in Taiwan in 2011, but said corruption and violence against women and children remained prevalent problems in the country.

　

　

 The US Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011, May 24, 2012 　

The impartiality of judges and prosecutors involved in high-profile and politically sensitive cases was being questioned by some political commentators and academics, the report said.

In addition, it said the judicial system in Taiwan “suffered from some corruption.”

Child abuse also continued to be a “widespread problem,” according to the report. It cited an NGO estimate of 20,000 cases per year of child sexual abuse.

In addition, the report said violence against women, such as rape and domestic violence, “remained a serious problem” in Taiwan. It said the Ministry of the Interior estimated that the actual number of sexual assault cases was 10 times more than what was reported to the police.

The report also said that foreign spouses in Taiwan face discrimination inside and outside of their homes. Forced labor was found in sectors such as caregiving, farming, fishing, manufacturing and construction...

　

 　
AFP - The running mate of Taiwan opposition presidential candidate James Soong claimed he had come under attack from "electromagnetic waves" launched by a local intelligence unit.

The highly secretive bureau was not immediately available for comment.

　

 <AFP>, France, Dec. 1, 2011

<Yahoo> UK & Ireland, Dec 1, 2011

<Bangkok Post>(Thailand), Dec. 3, 2011

 Dr. Lin Ruey-shiung (Soong's running mate): "If I hadn't quickly moved out (of my home), I would have lost my mind," and alleged that the "attack" by the National Security Bureau started on September 20, 2011 outside his home and lasted three days. reported by all local media in Taiwan.
Taiwan's“The National Security Bureau": ... has not owned the alleged technologies, nor have we used equipment to harass the alleged targeted person”Dec. 6 2011, Yahoo news.

　

　

Taiwan presidential race darkened by charges of intelligence service monitoring of challenger

　

　

 <Washington Post>, January 3, 2012

<Associated Press>,

　

Taiwan president race darkened by spying charges;

Taiwan’s presidential campaign has taken a dark turn, with the opposition challenger accusing intelligence services under the control of incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou of tracking her campaign events for political advantage.  The allegations — unproven and denied by Ma — conjure up memories of Taiwan’s unsavory one-party past, when Ma’s party, the Nationalists, used their total control of the state apparatus to persecute opponents. While the island has since morphed into one of Asia’s most dynamic democracies, many senior civil servants may still believe that serving the top political echelon involves cutting corners.
 　
complaints about unfair competition and concerns about Beijing's interference were present throughout the presidential election campaign.  <Freedom House>, Washington D.C., USA, Jan. 20, 2012 (1) some criminal law is kept and can be used for suing reporters and internet blog writers, may against Taiwan's press freedom.
(2)Taiwan's overall rating remained the same as last year 2011  and the Washington-based group pro-democracy watchdog highlighted last Saturday's presidential elections in its Freedom in the World 2012 report.		  Taipei Times, Liberty Times, head-page, Jan. 21, 2012
 Taiwan's rank on Freedom of Press ( freedom of Information) : 45th.

ps: Taiwan's rank in 2008 is 36th.

 Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), Reporters without Borders, France

Jan 25, 2012


Press freedom Index :

New Zealand No.13,  Japan No. 22,  Australia No.30, South Korea No.44, Taiwan No.45, USA, No.47, HK No.54  US extra territorial No. 57,   China No.174

　

 Apple Daily News, Jan. 26, 2012
Taiwan's rank in 2011 : No.48
 Taiwan's bribery index drops 5 positions within 3 years since 2008.

<Transparency International>,

 Germany,  Nov. 2, 2011  

　

◎ Taiwan ranked (19th) in the lower half of TI's 2011 “Bribe Payers" index,  finishing 19th among the 28 countries surveyed
◎ Taiwan fell from 14th place in the index released in 2008, when 22 countries were scrutinized.
◎ The Berlin-based organization asked 3,016 business executives in 30 selected countries how often companies in the countries polled engaged in bribery.
　

　

 reported by editorial, Apple Daily news, Taiwan News, etc, Taiwan.
Taiwan's corruption (5.45) ranked No. 7(same as 2011) in Asia & Pacific 10+ countries.. < Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. (PERC) >  Mar. 21, According to PERC, Taiwan's corruption score (5.45) is behind Asia&Pacific No.1 Singapore (0.67)、No. 2 Australia(1.28)、No. 3 Japan(1.90)、No. 4 USA(2.59) 、Hong Kong(2.64)、Macau(2.85), Taiwan (5.45) ranked No. 7(same as 2011), then No.8 is Malaysia(5.59)、No.9 Thailand(6.57)、 No.10 Lau柬埔寨(6.83)、No.11 S. Korea(6.90) 、No. 12 China(7.00). The grade 10 is worst, 0 is best. 　
Taiwan received a grade of 6.1 [on a scale of one to 10] on the corruption perception index ( Asia's ranks : New Zealand 9.5, Singapore 9.2 , Hong Kong 8.2, Japan 8.0).

<Transparency  International>,
Germany,  
    Dec. 1, 2011        

　

Taiwan ranked 32 on the corruption perception index ranking released by Transparency International, but still lagged behind some of its more economically advanced neighbors, such as Japan and Singapore.

To improve Taiwan's rank, the government must launch a long-term education campaign to raise citizen awareness of the values of clean politics and governance, besides, the government and the legislature must be more cautious in handling issues related to government officials' special allowance funds, etc.

　

 　
　

With an overall score of 25 on the annual report’s zero to 100 scale, Taiwan dropped one spot to 48th from 2010.

Taiwan’s scores have declined three years in a row.

　

Freedom House ,

Washington D.C., USA

May 2,  2011

　

  In the Freedom of the Press world survey Washington-based watchdog organization Freedom House.

 Taiwan's press freedom in 2010 was ranked 47th among all nations, slipping three spots compared to 2009.

 Taiwan's rank : 2008 - 32nd , 2009 - 43rd , 2010 - 47th , 2011 - 48th

  Freedom House, a Washington-based non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world.
Taiwan declined in UK's Democracy Index: Taiwan's rank 37 in 2011, rank 36 in 2010

Economist , UK  (2011)

  Democracy Index : No.38 Slovakia, 39: India, No.1~9: Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Swiss, Canada, Finland, Netherland Global Peace Index: taiwan rank 27(2011), 35(2010), 37(2009), 44(2008).
Taiwan was criticized over issues to do with the death penalty, freedom of expression, justice and migrants' rights. Amnesty International, London, UK,  annual report The State of the World's Human Rights 2011, May 13, 2011 Amnesty International Taiwan deputy secretary-general Yang Tsung-li  criticized the government, saying it used a lack of public consensus as an excuse to uphold capital punishment.

The executions last year were carried out one day after a hearing on the issue, and the executions in March came less than one month after Ma offered an apology to the family of Chiang Kuo-ching (江國慶), who was found to have been wrongfully executed

The report also criticized Taiwan's government for what it said was its failure to deliver on promises to amend the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) that limits citizens’ rights to assembly and free speech.

It also voiced concerns over the slow progress to enact a judges’ act to address corruption scandals involving high court judges and over the working conditions of migrant workers.

　

 also reported by Taiwan's media ― Apple Daily news (Chinese language) and Taipei Times (English)
81% of Taiwanese have little faith in judiciary: Poll

The highest % in Taiwan's history

Sep. 7, 2011
 according to the survey conducted by the National Chung Cheng University.

Four out of every five Taiwanese have serious doubts about the island's judicial system following a string of scandals and controversial rulings...

About 81 per cent ...  did not believe judges had the skills to reach fair decisions,... Sixty per cent... had no confidence in a special anti-graft government body, the Agency Against Corruption... set up after three senior judges were indicted for taking bribes in exchange for not guilty verdicts. The judges were later sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

The Straits Times, breaking news,

Taiwan's Apple Daily,

 9/7/2011
 There were still problems with corruption, violence and discrimination against women and children, as well as human trafficking. USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, issued April 8, 2011  
  (1) officials & police corruption.
  (2) Violence against women, including rape and domestic violence, remained a "serious problem.
      (estimated that the total number of rape, spousal rape was 10 times the number reported to the police,
         - 6818 rape/sexual assaults were filed till Sept 2010,   till Nov. 2010, 91457 family violence, 22089 children abuse cases were filed. )
 (3)   judicial authorities remained “dismissive” of complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.
 (4)  Child abuse continued to be a widespread problem.  sexual abuse was more prevalent than the public realized, with the estimated number of victims reaching approximately 20,000 annually, while only approximately 3,000 were reported.
 (5)  foreign-born spouses were targets of discrimination.
 (6)  abuses of foreign workers.
 (7)  authorities increased their placement of advertisements packaged as news reports in local newspapers and television.
 (8) trafficking in persons
　		 reported by Taiwan's media at April 9, 2011
　

Taiwan's corruption index : among Asian & Pacific countries, Taiwan is behind Singapore (No.1), HK, Australia, Japan, USA, Macau (Macao)

 

POLITICAL & ECONOMIC RISK CONSULTANCY LTD (HK based), March 22, 2011 (1) Founding that : most serious corruption lies in Taiwan's top-position leaders and government's metro./city reconstruction units. 

(2) Taiwan's reform against corruption remains no good.

 reported by Taiwan's Apple Daily, Mar. 23, 2011

For the past two years, Freedom House has downgraded Taiwan's rating in its annual report on global press freedom. Critics say it's common for government propaganda to masquerade as 'news.'

 the Christian Science Monitor, USA

 ▼ ...many observers say that the glitter of the island republic’s free press has been overrated, especially in a highly commercialized news culture that is both deeply partisan and prey to political favors.

▼The placement of advertising as news is only the “tip of the iceberg,”

▼One example of creeping government influence is the media's minimization of criticism of government policies and exaggeration of its achievements, says Guang, who teaches journalism at National Chung Cheng University.......“Taiwan’s news media are not yet independent,” says Guang. “Can the public really accept this?”
　

Jan 3, 2011
Taiwan's "Freedom from Corruption" scores 56, which is worst since 2007 A joint project of The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

 The  the Index of Economic Freedom rankings on a 1-100 scale , Taiwan's economic freedom score is 70.8,  Taiwan is ranked 7th in the Asia–Pacific region.
50.0 Financial Freedom
56.0 Fdm. from Corruption
46.1 Labor Freedom
82.0 Monetary Freedom
89.7 Government Spending
 January 12, 2011 (LT 1.21.'11)
Executions of five men in Taiwan condemned

Five executions spark concern in EU, Germany

 <Amnesty International > ,   London, UK, press , Mar 4, 2011

　

Amnesty International has condemned today's execution of five men in Taiwan......
"The Taiwanese authorities have repeatedly stated their intention to abolish the death penalty, but they have - yet again - acted contrary to their own commitments and against the global trend towards abolition of the death penalty," said Sam Zarifi Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Director.

More than 70 people remain on death row in Taiwan. Family members are not informed about scheduled executions in advance. They learn about the executions afterwards when they are invited to collect the body from the mortuary.

　

<Taipei times>,  Mar 5, 2011 , The German government also expressed concerns over the execution.

ps: the United Daily mentions Taiwan's media reported too much about those prisoners' life details .

Taiwan's "Democracy Index" of 2010 declined

UK's Economist Intelligence Unit (E.I.U.)


(1) 2010: Taiwan's "Democracy Index" in retreat : Political participation ( sank 6.67 to 5.56 points) & Functioning of government( points 7.5 down to 7.14); other indexes like Electoral process & puralism, political culture, civilian liberties have not moved up
(2) Asia rank : South Korea No. 20, Japan No.22, most Asian countries moved up or remained same rank, i.e., S. Korea ranking from No.28 to No.20, Australia 10th to 6th, New Zealand 7th to 5th, Taiwan dropped 3 positions.
(3) World rank: No.1: Norway, No.2: Iceland, No.3 Denmark, No. 4 Sweden, No.5 New Zealand
　

Dec. 21, 2010
 data from reports by Liberty Times and UK based EIU web-site
 77% Taiwanese people think Taiwan's corruption has not improved,  <the Liberty Times> reported corruption index by  Germany based TI.  <Transparency International>, Germany,   Dec. 10, 2010

　

     Taiwan's corruption sorting list:  worst ― Police: 3.9,  Parliament/legislation: 3.8,  Public officials/civil servants :3.8,  Political parties : 3.5,  military: 3.4,  judiciary3.3 ,  Media , Education systems : 3.2  ( Taiwan's media have not given a complete report )

      World Corruption Index: Singapore No.1, Australia No.8 (score 8.7), HK No.13 (8.4), Japan No. 17 (7.8),  Qatar No.19 (7.7), US No.22 (7.1),  Taiwan No.33 (5.8)

    Taiwanese people think in the past 3 years Taiwan's corruption:  stayed the same 35%, increased 42%,  decreased 23%

  

12.10. 2010
 the report rated Taiwan's freedom of the media  lower than the previous year, on the basis of a controversy surrounding the country's Public Television Service (PTS).

The heads of PTS were removed in last September amid concerns about the independence of publicly-funded media.

 Freedom House 2011 report

Jan 13, 2011

Taiwan's political rights and civil liberties remaining unchanged at grades 1 and 2, respectively.

 Freedom House, a Washington-based non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom around the world.

Corruption in Taiwan

Confirming the worst suspicions

　

The Economist, July 22, 2010

 three high-court judges and a prosecutor had been detained amid allegations that they took bribes to fix the outcome of a high-profile case

The significance of this case is that it makes all the rumours (ps:  corruption in Taiwan's law field) a reality.

 7. 22. 2010

　
 Taiwan dropped 1 position in  judicial  (Asia & pacific) ranking

POLITICAL & ECONOMIC RISK CONSULTANCY LTD (HK based)

Asian Intelligence Reports Index (Dec. 1, 2010)

 No.1 Australia, No.2: Hong kong, No.3: Singapore, No.4: USA, No.5 :Japan, No.6: South Korea, No.7: Taiwan  (1) issued at 12. 1. 2010

 (2) reported by Taiwan's media like SET TV evening news, 7:20pm, Dec. 2, 2010


Taiwan: Abolition of the Death Penalty in Taiwan: a Further Serious Setback

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT,

3 June 2010

 Amnesty International is deeply disappointed that Taiwan’s Constitutional Court has rejected a petition to halt executions made on behalf of 44 death row inmates. The petition, filed by the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP), argued that Taiwan’s application of the death penalty was unconstitutional and violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Amnesty International considers the death penalty the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and a violation of the right to life.

Amnesty International urges the government of Taiwan not to carry out executions and to make concrete progress towards its long stated goal to abolish the death penalty. 		By resuming executions the government in Taiwan is out of step with global trends. Across the world, more than two thirds of countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice and in 2009 only 18 countries were known to have carried out executions.
Taiwan's "Global Peace Index" of  2010 ranks 35

Economist Intelligence Unit (E.I.U.)

Global Peace Index of 2010 :  Asian nations  ―  New Zealand ranks 1, Japan 3rd,  Qatar 15th,  Australia19th,   Malaysia No. 22,  Hong Kong No. 22, Singapore No.30,  Laos No.34.

Peace Indicators ( 23 factors ) includes "Respect for human rights", "Jailed population", etc

Related indicators (32 factors) includes "corruption perceptions", "political culture", etc

　

2010
One out of 4 serious problems ―   trafficking in persons,  US  Country Reports on Human Rights practices 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report Taiwan (Tier 1) Released by the U.S. Department of State, June 14, 2010 Taiwan is a destination, and to a much lesser extent, source and transit territory for men, women, and children subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor.

 Some women from Taiwan are recruited through classified ads to travel to Japan, Australia, the UK, and the United States for employment, where they are forced into prostitution. Taiwan is a transit territory for Chinese citizens who enter the United States illegally and may become victims of debt bondage and forced prostitution in the United States.

 June 14, 2010

A Taiwanese Co. employer forced three Muslim Indonesian women to eat pork (violate Muslim religion) over a seven-month period.

Head line of the United Daily News ( Taiwan's major news) comments it as "Inflicted serious damage on Taiwan's image". 


reported by the Jakarta Post (May 14, 2010), and some major world media : BBC website, the Straits Times (Singapore), Associated Press, AFP, ABS-CBN TV (Philippines), India Times, and DailyMail of UK, etc.

　

 Indonesian government condemns such action( forced foreign-labor workers to consume pork) as it was against appropriate values, calling upon the Taiwanese government to pay “serious attention” to the case. According to the Taiwan media and USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices 2010, Taiwan has always abused foreign workers.
 European Union condemns the executions of death penalty in Taiwan, May 2010.

　

European Union

 (1) EU deplores the resumption of executions (death penalty) in Taiwan.

(2) The European Union's strongly held view in favour of the abolition of capital punishment is well known. The European Union considers that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.

  (1) statement at  May 1, 2010.

 (2)  by the spokesperson of EU High Rep. for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

(3) Taiwan urges the EU to delink death penalty from visa waiver
Taiwan's press freedom score : 24 (legal environment : 7, political environment: 9, economic environment: 8)

Freedom House

 Norway and Finland score: 10 (legal environment : 3, political environment: 3, economic environment: 4) Oct. 21, 2010
Taiwan dropped (47th 2010, 43rd last year, 32nd 2008 ) in press freedom rating
　

Freedom House

 (1) Taiwan ranked 47th on the U.S.-based human rights watchdog body's 2010 global press freedom rating, which was based on the findings of a survey on the media situations...

(2) Taiwan declined four notches from its ranking of 2009, , declined 15 notches from 2008.

(3) No1 : Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, No.11: New Zealand No.32: Japan, No.37 : Australia, No.24: US,  (Macau or Macao not found).

(4) 35% are in free status.

　

 (1) issued 2010/04/30

(2) Apple Daily (May 1, 2010): money make official propaganda become news.

(3) Liberty Times (May 1, 2010): We declined, others improved. 

 Taiwan's corruption ... a serious problem

 USA Country Reports on Human Rights practices, issued Mar 11, 2010   major problems  
 (1) Taiwan corruption by officials
 (2) violence & discrimination
       against women
      (estimate total # is 10 times # reported
          - 5305 rape/sexual assaults were filed)
 (3) trafficking in persons
 (4) abuses of foreign workers
 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2009/eap/135990.htm		  
 (1) issued March 11, 2010

 (2) Apple Daily : bad things more than good things

 (3) US report: no official restrictions to peaceful expression of views via the net, however, my computer has long time problem to internet (till now, no evidence proved who or which nation did this)

　
Taiwan's corruption grade (6.28) is behind Asia & Pacific countries No.1 Singapore(1.42)、No.2 Australia(2.28)、No.3 Hong Kong (2.67)、No. 4 USA(3.42)、No. 5 Japan (3.49)、No. 6 Macau(4.96)、No. 7 S. Korea(5.98), slightly better than No. 10 China (6.52) Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.(PERC), corruption surveys 2010

Overall country risk ranking: 1.Australia(best graded country) 2.Singapore 3.HK  4.Japan (Nippon) 5. Macau (Macao)  6. USA 7. Vietnam  8. Taiwan (backwards from 2009)

Mar. 10, 2010

Taiwan corruption is worse
than China

Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.(PERC), surveys 2009

  Both Taiwanese major political parties are rotten.

reported by all major media of Taiwan, 4.7.2009

Taiwan's politicians corruption is serious

Among Asia-Pacific countries, Taiwan behind Singapore(No.1), Australia, HK, USA, Japan, Macau, and South Korea

Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.(PERC), Mar. 2010

(1) Serious corruption in both political parties in Taiwan

(2)  Indonesia is the worst one in Asia-Pacific region

  issued March 2010
Taiwan corruption Perception Index (CPI)  in 2010 ranks 33rd in the world, 6th in Asia & Pacific

Transparency International (Germany based)

 (1)No.1 : Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore, No.8: Australia, No.13: Hong Kong, No.17: Japan, No.19: Qatar...

(2) Taiwan fluctuated between 25th and 35th place from 1995 till 2007, dropped to 39th in 2008, bit moved back to 37th in 2009.

  Oct. 27, 2010

Taiwan corruption scores in 2009 CPI ranks no. 37, which is behind Dominica, Puerto Rico, and Botswana.

　

Transparency International

The highest scorers in the 2009 CPI are New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland (Swiss).

Hong Kong ranks 12th, Japan 17th,  United States 19th.

Taiwan's <Corruption Perceptions Index> score in 2009 is 5.6.
scores 2008 back to 2003 :  5.7, 5.7, 5.9. 5.9, 5.6, 5.7, so, Taiwan in 2009 is about the worst. 

　


Nov 17, 2009

Transparency International's 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the world's most credible measure of of domestic, public sector corruption.
　

Press Freedom Index  : Taiwan ranks No. 48 in 2010,  No. 59 in 2009 ( Japan 17th,   Haiti 57th  ), but ranked 36th in 2008,  Taiwan dropped 23 notches (positions) in 2009.

 < Reporters Without Borders > , Paris France   

 Press Freedom Index of other Asia & Pacific countries like New Zealand (No. 8）, Japan（No. 11）, Hong Kong（No. 34）, South Korea（No. 42）.

Top 5 are Finland, Iceland, Holland, Norway, and Sweden.   USA ranks No. 20, China No. 171.  

　

 Oct. 20, 2010 
The biggest problems of Taiwan's legal system are:

(1) political forces involved
(2) system not independent

Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd.(PERC), Sept. 2009

Taiwan's Legislation Yuan refuted it's not the fact.

 Sept. 22, '09 reported by the United Daily News (translation as left)

Taiwan's Freedom of the press (No. 43) declined seriously

Freedom House 2009

 (1) Taiwan's score : 23,  ranks 43rd , same as Latvia, Slovakia, Suriname, Trinidad, Vanuatu.

 (2) Media in Taiwan faced assault and
  growing government pressure.

 (3) No.1 : Iceland, No.2 : Finland, Norway, No.4 : Denmark, Sweden

 May  2009

Taiwan collects citizens' data
without any regulation

The Association for Human Rights (Taiwan)

  (1) <Computer-processed Personal Data Protection Law> has not been modified to a good version for a long time.

 (2) Taiwanese privacy status just like <1984>.

Liberty Times, Feb 22, 2009

Public media independence threatened, despite government denials

Reporters Without Borders, Paris, France

Reporters Without Borders urges President Ma Ying-jeou to keep his promises to us to respect public media independence.

2008 Dec 17
More than 10 journalists injured during opposition protests against Chinese visit

Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders deplores the violence against journalists in Taipei in the course of protests against a visit by a Chinese government representative during the past few days.

At least 10 journalists were injured during protests on 6 November by supporters of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) against the meeting in Taipei between President Ma Ying-jeou and Chen Yunlin,

Nov. 8, 2008

Taiwan is a "Police State"

the China Times visited Parliament member

  (1) Almost all members of Legislative Yuan ( legislators are about same as Congressmen / Senators) and Parliament leader were eavesdropped ...

 (2) Taiwan's People 're watched by "secret-camera" , Taiwan becomes a "Police State" ... 

reported at Oct. 18, 2007

Most serious corruption :
Taiwan Parliament and
political parties  

Transparency Org. Taiwan

 Taiwan Corruption Index :
Parliament 78%, political parties 69%, Custom 61%, Military 48%, Police 45%, Legislative 43%, Power & Water 41%, Taxes 35%, Medical 32%, Education 25%, Media 19%, Religion 16%, etc

(Taiwan corruption is lousy, Gallup 2006, Transparency Org. 2007  )

the liberty Times, Dec. 10, 2005

Global Peace Ranking declined

the Economist EIU

  36th in 2007, 44th in 2008

United Daily News, May 21, 2008
　

Freedom of Expression problem : The Assembly and Parade Law

　

Amnesty International

 the Assembly and Parade Law
requires police permission to hold a public
demonstration and is used to suppress protests

reports 2008

 

HR Problems :
(1) corruption by
officials,
(2)violence and discrimination against women,
(3) trafficking in persons,
(4) abuses of foreign workers

　

Country Report on Human Rights Practices, USA

 refer www.state.gov

reports, Mar 11, 2008


Taiwan's human rights

　

United Nations

　

http://www.un.org/en/rights/index.shtml

www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/56/a56193.pdf

　

 　
Taiwan's "Happy Planet Index" ranks 84

New Economics Foundation

out of 178

2006

ps: Taiwan "Life satisfaction" no longer count, latest score of China is 6.7
Taiwan's  Satisfaction with Life Index ranks world no. 68

University of Leicester

out of 178

2006

★

★ TW media lashed out Taiwan's Human Rights

 Taiwan's major media

 reviews / reports

 　

<Liberty Times>, <China Times>, toronto.singtao.ca , etc,4.23.2016

 Supreme Court : Death penalty is accordance with the provisions of the Constitutions of ROC Taiwan, all judges should not take 2 conventions of human rights as excuses, capital punishment is for " punishment ", not for  "enlightenment"/"education". 　

<Apple Daily News>,
Front-line news, 3.7.2016

 White terror returns!!
Taiwan MP abused their power to entrap and search a Taiwanese (suspected of selling White Terror-era documents) house without search warrant and forced to take him to MP station, he is under investigation for Offenses of Receiving Stolen Property (贓物罪) and Offenses Against Privacy (妨害秘密罪)...after this, MP gave him NT dollar15000 trying to "seal his mouth"...		 　

 <United Daily News>, 2.14.2015

 An old Chinese saying, "He who steals a hook gets hanged as a crook, he who steals the kingdom makes himself a duke " is still valid in current Taiwan, Taiwan even is in an extremely serious situation -  very ill in politics and media...   (周陽山、沈美真) 　

Apple Daily News>,
Front-line news, 8.29.2015

 Taiwan's judiciary avoid fighting with celebrities, e.g., a TV star's husband 　

<Apple Daily News>,
headline news, 1.11.2014

 Taiwan police monitor all Taiwanese people   
pic. above: Taiwan police monitor all Taiwanese people & Who is "enemy of the state"?  Ans is Taiwan's public institutions.		 　

 < The China Times>, 1.28.2014

 National Chung Cheng university's survey found: nearly 80% Taiwanese people don't believe the impartiality of Taiwan's prosecutors, 80% Taiwanese don't believe Taiwan's judges. 　

<Liberty Times>, <TTV>, etc, 1.28.2014
... Facing an apparent suicide bid (Taiwanese man drives large truck into presidential office building for protesting Taiwan's judiciary problem - injustice), Taiwan president Ma expressed that Taiwan's government should think about Self - examination and fundamental/radical reform to reduce the popular agitation/public grievances/Taiwanese people dissatisfaction. (政府也要思考、檢討，因為民眾不滿才會有這樣的動作，如何從根本面減少不滿，這是政府必須要檢討的。)		 　

<The Liberty Times>, Taiwan 
Sept. 25, 2013
pic. above:  1/4 Taiwanese people (6 million persons) are being listened by Taiwan's government per year, conservative estimated by the field of justice/laws (Judicial Yuan communications surveillance statistics).The number of permission to listen Taiwanese issued by the court is actually about the same as that in USA, but the population of Taiwan ( 23 million ) is only about 1/10 of Americans...  		　

<Apple Daily News>,
March 2, 2013

  Taipei's public (social) housing policy rejects AIDS patients, which is criticized as "Discrimination" ... 　

<Liberty Times>, <United Daily News>, The China Post, The Taipei Times–
Dec. 10, 2013

 The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD ) & SHU Taiwanese human rights survey:
 (1) dropped from 3.5 points in 2011 to 2.4 points this year : communication privacy and freedom. (points range: 0.0~5.0)
(2) 2.1 points in terms of health rights.
(3) 1.8 points, was given to “non-corruption in government,”
(4) 2 points : Non-external intervention of the judiciary, 2.3 points : fair trials.
(5) 2.7 points: the government's efforts to ensure human rights.
(6) 2.8 points: civil liberties,  2.5 points: political rights.
 (7) Freedom of residence, freedom of religion, the right to vote, and civil servants' attitude all scored 3.8 points.		 　
<Business Weekly> no. 1334,  <Business Today> no. 856, <Apple Daily News> editorial (6.1.2013), etc Taiwan's food were found some very bad materials, e.g., Cloudy Agents Contaminated by Plasticizer, 'Poisonous (toxic) starch',  maleic acid (an industrial material) ...  click for details 　

<China Post>,  Dec. 11 2012

 In Human Rights Day (Dec. 10, 2012), DPP's Policy Research Committee: a recent poll indicates that 62.3 % of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with the government's protection of human rights. 　

<Liberty Times>, Dec. 11, 2012

 DPP's Policy Research Committee: a recent poll indicates that 67 % of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with the government's protection of judicial human rights. (司法人權), 64.9% of Taiwanese are dissatisfied with political  human rights. (政治人權)... 　

<Taiwan News>, Dec. 5, 2012

 Taiwan's human rights get thumbs-down in poll!

More than 40 percent (43.4%) of the respondents in an annual survey rated Taiwan's overall performance in human rights protection this year as either “bad” or “very bad,” the Taipei-based Chinese Association for Human Rights said yesterday.

About 53.5 percent of the respondents gave the protection of judicial human rights a negative rating, compared with 21.4 percent who rated it positively.

　

 　

<United Daily News>, Dec. 12, 2012

 The minister of Control Yuan ( Impeachment, censure, investigation, Inspection, audit, etc) Wong expressed officials who never admit their human rights mistakes are full in Taiwanese government, Taiwan does not have "public servants" ... most human rights problems are caused by Taiwanese government ...  　

<Taipei Times>, Dec. 8, 2012

Public feels human rights deteriorating

DISSATISFACTION: Official corruption, the government’s inability to fill people’s needs and media independence were top public concerns, according to a survey of public opinion by the government-affiliated Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (conducted by Shih Hsin University),...
Corruption was the target of the greatest public dissatisfaction, scoring 1.9 points. It was followed by the government’s ability to respond to people’s needs, which garnered 2 points, and external interference in judicial rulings, at 2.1 points.

　

 　

<Liberty Times>, Dec. 5, 2012

 Chinese Association for Human Rights yesterday released the "2012 Taiwan Human Rights Indicator Survey" results show the satisfaction of the people of Taiwan for the protection of human rights continued to decline...

survey shows that only 38 percent of Taiwanese held positive views on Taiwan's human rights of this year, which is far worse than 57 percent of last year...

　

 　

<Apple Daily>, Dec. 5, 2012

 Acording to "2012 Taiwanese Human Rights index survey" (conducted by 中華人權協會), 17.9% Taiwanese respondents think Taiwan's overall human rights improved, 36% think it is worsened, 76% Taiwanese don't satisfy Taiwan's economy human rights.
Taiwan's freedom of speech is in retreat, scholars worry about Taiwan's democracy doesn't work well ...  		　

<China Post>,  Dec. 11 2012

 The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman: Taiwan currently faces two major human rights crises: prosecutors that abuse their powers to persecute the people, and private interests that wield dangerous power over the media, Su said, pointing to China as one of the big players in the monopolization of Taiwan's media. 　

<Taipei Times>, Dec. 11 2012

 The Democratic Progressive Party: The erosion of human rights under KMT's  administration, in particular regarding the judiciary and media, has placed Taiwan’s proud democracy in jeopardy and requires attention from the international community, ... applying a three-part strategy to monopolize local media by first “paralyzing the public television system and controlling the Chinese Television System,” then following up with Want Want China Times Group’s (旺旺中時集團) “vertical integration of a cable television service and horizontal integration of its pending merger of the Next Media Group.”... Implementing the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) was the most glaring example of Ma’s noncompliance with the covenants,...  there were two major crises in Taiwan: first, people’s suffering from the sluggish economy; second, the backsliding of human rights and the re-emergence of authoritarianism. 　

<United Daily News>, Dec. 1, 2012

 Although Taiwan keeps announcing it's a "Human Rights" country, experts question that till now Taiwan is still one among very few nations (7-8 nations, most of them are communist countries, red China not included) refuses AIDS foreigners enter (e.g., Magic Johnson, a NBA star), and monitors AIDS people by nation's machine for a long term, Taiwan does not care about human rights ... 　

 <Liberty Times>, Yahoo news taiwan, etc , Oct. 1,  2012

　

"The people have the freedom from fear!"
the Wu Zhaohan (吳兆漢) case confirmed that illegal eavesdropping  indeed has been existing in Taiwan, the severity degree is about same as American's Watergate case , ... not be able to eliminate Taiwanese people's worries,...
 Both pan-blue and pan-green Legislators pointed out illegal eavesdropping Taiwanese people (or even in the name of  "state secrets" ) can not be accepted, ...
  "This is exactly what Taiwanese people most worried about for a long time!"...  the concerns of the people has not eliminated; ...
 In the past 4 years Taiwanese government's (or KMT's) illegal eavesdropping were from bad to worse, not only legislators feel insecure, but also  the DPP President candidate Tsai Ing-wen (during last year's presidential election)'s campaign schedules (蔡英文多次被掌握行蹤) repeatedly were known by KMT , which proved KMT administration has never stopped this illegal eavesdropping, surveillance behavior......
　

 　

<Liberty Times>, Sept. 20, 2012,

examiner.com

 U.S. human rights organizations questions︰Taiwan's former president Chen Shui-bian's flat prison treatment violated international torture standards

The Human Rights Action Center based in Washington, D.C. has issued a preliminary statement on the prison conditions of Chen Shui-bian, the imprisoned former president of the Republic of China in-exile yesterday  ... ...  in violation of international torture standards, such harsh treatment for more than a week is considered improper, not to mention four years!  

“Other aspects of President Chen’s prison conditions, such as having to sleep, eat, and write on the floor and the prevalence of dripping water, insects, and other sanitary problems are not normally of conditions found in modern democracies governed by the rule of law.”

 　

<Taiwan News>, April 21, 2012

 As for President Ma Ying-jeou's first human rights report released yesterday, Wellington Koo (顧立雄), an attorney who represented the Judicial Reform Foundation said that obtaining testimony through “inappropriate ways,” such as torture or threats, still occurs in Taiwan, and such illegally obtained testimony is still used in court...

Human Rights Covenants Watch convener Kao Yung-cheng (高湧誠) said "we only see the government dressing up human rights conditions in the country, instead of trying to touch the core of issues, and make profound changes.”, “The government is not facing some real human rights violations happening in this country, ...

 　

<Liberty Times>, April 21, 2012

 DDP said Taiwan's first human rights report is full of empty boasts and obfuscations ...

 Human Rights Covenants Watch convener said the human rights report is " evades the issue" (避重就輕), The human rights issue in Taiwan is still riddled with gaping wounds / already ailing (「千瘡百孔」).

DDP Critics said freedom of the press was deteriorating... During DDP time, Taiwan's press freedom status went from world 35th up to 32nd, but in KMT's administration, this status dropped from 43rd down to 48th place.

Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty executive director said it's ( abolish capital punishment ... ) a lie in public (「公然說謊」).

 　

    <United Daily News>,
April 21, 2012

 Human Rights Covenants Watch convener comments the report as "red tape,  bureaucratic/ idle theorizing/ empty-talk paper (「官樣文章，紙上人權」) 　

  <the China Times>, Politican News edition , April 21, 2012

 President Ma :“A great number of human rights violations are committed by governments and we need to establish internationally accepted standards and ensure public servants are aware of the importance of protecting human rights,...” 　
 <Apple Daily News>, Politics edition, April 21, 2012 President Ma admitted Taiwan government violates human rights ... 　

<China Post>, April 21, 2012

 DPP pans 'beautified' human rights report !
Naturally, the report devolves into a beautification of the human rights situation.”		 　

<the China Times>, March 10, 2012

  
On Mar. 8, 2012, pig farmers across Taiwan voiced their opposition to the government's possible decision to relax import restrictions on beef containing ractopamine with a protest rally  in front of the Legislative Yuan and the Council of Agriculture (Taiwanese government) , Taiwanese police arrested them for their violation of the Assembly and Parade Law, ...... they scolded this had a contempt for international human rights conventions.
　		 　

 <Apple Daily News>, Feb. 29, 2012
"Taiwan's human rights status is still same as that 65 years ago", by 228 political event's victims families who are angry at the saying "228's victims only 1000- persons" by KMT's top positioned politician.
　		 　
<Apple Daily News>, Feb. 28, 2012   
Taiwan's  largest ever labor inspection found out  2591 companies' illegally violation of the Labor Standards Law (《勞基法》), the ratio of overall inspected companies is up to 30%. 
Taiwanese labor group criticized that state-owned enterprise ranks top 3 in most serious list and this result is just "the tip of the iceberg".  
　		 　

<Liberty Times>, <Taipei Times>, Dec. 9, 2011

  
Taiwan Brain Trust published at Dec. 8, 2011 a report claiming that Taiwan has moved backward on human rights issues.
Former Minister without Portfolio Hsu Chih-hsiung: the nation’s human rights record has plummeted in the past three years.
　		 　

 <Taipei Times>, Dec. 9, 2011
A survey conducted by Shih Hsin University on behalf of the government--affiliated Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, showed the public ranked the country’s overall human rights situation slightly higher this year than last year, but downgraded the government’s performance in protecting the freedom of the press.
　		 　

<Liberty Times>, Dec. 3, 2011
Liberty Times  : "Taiwan's economic rights, judicial rights,  labor rights ―   retreated the worst !"

The 2011 survey conducted by the Taipei-based Chinese Association for Human Rights :
Negative views: 61.4 % of economic rights, 47.9% of judicial rights,  45.5 % of labor rights.
Positive views: 61.5% of aboriginal rights,, 59.3% of politics rights, 54.6% of the elderly rights.
　

 　

 <Apple Daily News>, editorial ,  Sept. 23, 2011

 "National Sexual Prison "(「國立性煉獄」) :  What a shame on Taiwanese government ! 
 So many sexual harassment crimes , and sexual assault cases in Taiwan, ......  far more than the number reported by media, we can say Taiwan has already became a society hostile to the female.  Shame on all Taiwanese, particularly, shame on Taiwanese government......		 　

 Apple Daily news, may 14, 2011

 Amnesty International : Taiwan's human rights retreat, May 13, 2011
Taiwan's government <1> does not keep promise to modify the rallies law (for parade, etc), <2> abuses of foreign labor, <3> corruption, <4> death penalty 		　

 the China Times, Dec. 9, 2010
  If Taiwan government really care Taiwanese human rights, investigate again all wrongly-judged legal/political cases now !
　		 　

    Apple Daily, editorial, Dec. 10, 2010

 (1) Taiwan's authority emphasized economy, paid less attention to Taiwanese human rights...
(2) Taiwanese people ( except elites & leaders) give score 56 (total 100) to Taiwan's human rights.		 　

Liberty Times, Dec. 9, 2010

 According to a survey concerning Taiwan's democracy-freedom-human rights, generally speaking, Taiwanese ordinary people gave "F" score to Taiwan's human rights overall performance &  democratic freedom,  40 score to  judiciary (independent judgment),  41 score to the judges and government corruption. 　

the Liberty Times, Dec. 11, 2010

Taiwan's president Ma : The one most easily hurt human rights is the government.

 　

China Times, Oct. 11,  2010

DPP wanted to establish a human rights committee in Taiwan long time ago... but KMT ( Taiwan's "Chinese Nationalist Party" -  an opposition political party) stopped it again and again at that time... it's very weird that  today KMT suddenly wants to establish it ...

 　

Liberty times, Oct. 11, 2010

 Taiwan's human rights have been moving backwards,  the purpose of setting up a human rights committee is hiding ...

want to promote Taiwan's human rights?  hope Taiwanese government retracts its dirty hands everything will be fine ...

Human rights is the most important issue ... , but till now KMT's Taiwan government just thought of setting up a human rights committee  (KMT won again its presidential election in '08)...

DPP was trying to set up a human rights committee... but KMT (opposition political party) blamed it on "black committee" (under-the-table committee), and asked Taiwan government to dismiss the committee...

 　

Apple Daily News, Oct. 11, 2010

Taiwan ... sets up a "human rights committee"....  bit late, ... short of ambition ...

　

 Apple daily, China times,
 United Daily, Liberty Times,
July 21, 2010

The new commission to fight corruption should learn from experience of HK and Singapore

 　

Apple Daily News, etc, Oct. 1, 2010

   
    Legislators ( similar to senators or congressmen in the US ) blamed : "No human rights !!"

   Taiwan striped a Taiwanese for investigation while traveling from Macau (China) back hometown Taiwan at Sept. 25, Taiwanese government has not apologized for finding nothing guilty.
　

 　

the Liberty Times, Feb 27, 2010

228 political event may returns

 　

the Liberty Times, May 2, 2009

The freedom of Taiwan press falls seriously - world ranking downgrade from  32th to 43th

 　

the Liberty times, Mar 10, 2009

 Taiwanese ..., no Privacy ...

 　

the China Times, April 12, 2009

   In order to win elections, a number of politicians again and again forced some government officials to play the (drama) role of rotten officials or privileged ranking people .... to set "examples"

 　

the United Daily News, Sept. 21, 2009

Taiwan's police usually "suspect/doubt too much, investigate/find out the truth too little"...

 　

United Daily News, Dec. 8, 2008 (prime news)

We thought there's no dark corner in Taiwan, however, you will find out the truth until  someone infringes upon your human rights some day ... 

　

  Apple Daily, Feb 18, 2008  

 Taiwan President should admit and publicize numerous political ugly secrets, and political persecutions

 　

the China Times, Oct 12, 2007

For winning political elections, Taiwan took "Think highly of sovereignty , Think poorly of human rights " strategy

 　

the United News System (MinSen Daily), July 17, 1995

 All of us can be transparent ones , since too many unchecked eavesdrops / bugs

　

the China Times, Jan 3, 2008

 How come intellectuals disappeared ?  ....  fewer and fewer people dare to speak out the truth against the power

 　

the China Times, Jan 19, 2008

WEF & Gallup : 80% Taiwanese think political circle not honest

 　

the United Daily News, Oct 12, 2007

 Amnesty Int'l : Taiwanese think Taiwan's Judicial (Justice/legal)  is very rotten so as to locate at latter 1/3 of the world rankings.

 　

 

　

 　

 

　

 (total population about 23,000,000 )

　

 　
United Daily News, Liberty Times, China Times, Dec. 8, 2001

 9 out of 10 Taiwan's human rights index is failed.

　

★

★  World Human Rights (USA, China, Africa, Euro, etc)

 organization / institution

   web-site

 　

Transparency International 

 http://www.transparency.org 

　

Transparency International - Taiwan
ps: Now it changed its name
 from "Taiwan" to "Chinese Taipei"

new site : http://www.tict.org.tw/e_index.html
old site http://www.ti-taiwan.org/ch.files/index-1.htm 

　

Amnesty International

http://www.amnesty.org

　

Amnesty International - Taiwan

http://www.aitaiwan.org.tw

http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/taiwan

　

Freedom House

http://www.freedomhouse.org 

　

Reporters without Borders, Paris, France

http://www.rsf.org

 　

Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. (PERC)

http://www.asiarisk.com

 　

United Nations

http://www.un.org/en/rights/ 

　

US State government

　

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/ 

　

 　

★  China vs. USA on human rights issue  ...


                                               

　


Some evidences : Taiwan major newspapers comments & reports
　
Taiwan human rights status same as 65 years ago
"Taiwan's human rights status still same as that 65 years ago", by 228 political event's victims families.  (<Apple Daily>, Feb. 29, 2012)

  "Kill one person is wrong, none to mention ..." by  228 political event's victims families who are angry at this saying "victims only 1000- persons" by KMT top-position politician.    (<Apple Daily> web TV, Feb. 29, 2012)

國際特赦組織 :台灣人權倒退
Amnesty International : Taiwan's human rights retreat, May 13, 2011  (Taiwan's government <1> does not keep promise to modify the rallies law (for parade etc), <2> abuses of foreign labor, <3> corruption, <4> death penalty issue )


"Foreign workers have not be treated as human beings ... ", The China Times, Oct. 2, 2010


"The reason is all Taiwan gov. did is cheating/phony ! ", The Liberty Times comments bad record of Taiwan's human rights, ref.  USA Country Reports on Human Rights Practice, Mar 20, 2010  ( The word "cheating" above , can be direct translated as "phony", " false", "fake" or "untrue".)
○

Taiwan's human rights moving backwards (United Daily News, April 23, 2010)

No privacy in Taiwan
pic above : Too many Taiwanese're victims,  inconsolable rage on living in no privacy (Liberty Times, 2009)

 Taiwan's a Police State

pic : Taiwan became a Police State, people live under secret-camera ... (China Times, 2007)

 No privacy in Taiwan

pic above : the nation collects people's info. without a modern-time law ... just like the literature <1984>

(Liberty Times, 2009)
　 Taiwan's Press Freedom falls (Apple Daily, April 30, 2010 )

　
Freedom of Taiwan press retreated badly
pic above : Freedom of Taiwan press in retreat badly (Liberty Times, 2009)

Approval rate for Taiwan government's monitor : 75%  ―   " Offense Taiwanese human rights "
 (Apple Daily News, June 10, 2010)


Evils' records ―  7 million persons in time (Taiwan's population: 23 million) were being listened, Apple Daily, '03
Taiwan is a big rotten country
pic left : Taiwan is a big rotten country (Apple Daily, 2009)

score 5.9

　

　

　

　

　

　

score 5.5

 　

 

　
　 2001    2002    2003    2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009   2010     

Taiwan's corruption index/scores by year, Transparency International, Germany

pic. above: Taiwan's human rights are better in 2001, 2005, 2006 than records recently.

●

 the China Times http://www.chinatimes.com ,  the United Daily http://udn.com ,  Apple Daily http://www.appledaily.com , the Liberty Times http://www.libertytimes.com.tw 

　

　

This website's efforts to improve Taiwanese human rights

top rankings since 2000 (see below)
but persecutions remain till present 2025