A riot by Thai workers on Sunday night in Kaohsiung wasn't a prison riot, but there were many common features. Although the workers are not prisoners, their freedom is restricted to almost the same degree and the conditions they live in are not dissimilar to a jail. In a nation that prides itself as being built on human rights, the riot that swept through the community of construction workers is a shameful incident.
On Sunday night, hundreds of the 1,700 Thai workers living in dormitories provided by the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Company (KRTC) in the Peichichang (
After more than 15 hours of negotiations between representatives of the government, the KRTC and the workers, an agreement was reached and the incident can be said to have been brought to a conclusion.
The arson, stone-throwing and smashing of cars perpetrated by the workers are serious crimes and the government should ensure that there is no repetition of such violations of public safety laws. But the Thai workers' demands were not unreasonable.
Their requests to be allowed to use mobile phones, that a ban on alcohol be lifted, that their NT$5,000 in pocket money be paid in cash rather than tokens, that a satellite dish be installed so they can watch Thai television programs, that overtime be paid according to work done -- and that a limit on paid overtime of 46 hours be lifted -- and that Thais be employed as dormitory management staff, are perfectly reasonable.
In Taiwan today, people are unwilling to accept labor-intensive, high-risk, dirty or low-wage work. The government has no option but to import foreign workers to relieve the labor shortage in these sectors. Unfortunately, regulations, society and employers' attitudes have not been adjusted to fit the new situation. Outdated laws, poor management, a slave-owner mentality and cultural differences have caused friction between employers and employees, sowing the seeds of unrest.
The KRTC has used military-style discipline to simplify the management of thousands of Thai workers, allotting them poor housing and restricting their freedom of movement. This is unnecessary. Although employers can impose certain regulations during working hours, once work is over it's a different matter. It is unnecessary to prevent workers from using mobile phones, smoking or watching television after work, or to regulate how they spend their money.
Last Friday, a letter appeared on this page detailing the ill-treatment given a Filipina maid working for a Taiwanese family. The letter created quite a stir, and even the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, the Philippines' representative office in Taiwan, contacted us to enquire if they could offer assistance.
There are undoubtedly many similar cases in Taiwan. Such infringements of the basic human rights of foreign workers cannot be condoned. Government intervention and the establishment of a channel for victims to air their grievances, is necessary.
In the past it was Taiwanese laborers that went abroad to find employment. Now we import foreign labor. These workers have been indispensable to the nation's economic development and we could not do without them, in terms of both their contribution to the economy as well as our society.
Employers need to change the way they treat these workers: There should be mutual respect between employer and employee. Harmonious relations start with the observance of humanity.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then