Apology to be published in 18 languages

LONG AWAITED:Tsai’s formal apology is thought to be the first given to indigenous people in the Asian region by a head of state, and is considered a first step

By Wu Po-wei and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

Translators on Wednesday take part in a news conference in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District to announce the publication of President Tsai Ing-wen’s Aug. 1 apology speech in 16 Aboriginal languages.

Photo: Wu Po-wei, Taipei Times

Following President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) closely watched apology to Aborigines in August, the Council of Indigenous Peoples announced plans to publish a full text of the apology in 18 languages, including 16 officially recognized Aboriginal languages, as well as English and Japanese.

Council Minister Icyang Parod told a news conference in New Taipei City on Wednesday that Tsai’s apology, made on behalf of the government for the discrimination and neglect of Aborigines over the past 400 years, was not only the first step toward reconciliation and peace, but also the first time any head of state in the Asian region has offered an apology to Aborigines, adding that it was historically significant for Indigenous peoples.

The apology, made on Aug. 1, Indigenous People’s Day, was given in Mandarin after a ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, if front of representatives of Taiwan’s 16 recognized Aboriginal communities.

The council assembled a team of 48 translators and linguistic experts to translate the text into 16 Aboriginal languages so that more people could understand the content of the apology.

This took four months to complete, Parod said.

The translated scripts are given with the original text in each version, with pictures of Aboriginal representatives, as well as pictures from the event featuring Tsai, Parod said.

“We plan to publish them soon, which is not only a step toward implementing historical justice and transitional justice for Aborigines, but could also elevate the status of the Aboriginal languages,” Parod said.

It is also the first time that the nation has published an important government document in Aboriginal languages, Parod said, adding that the documents show that the government wants to conserve and advance Aboriginal languages.

Agency touts law on migrant fishermen

ABOUT TIME:The new law would increase the protection of migrant fishery workers after weeding out ‘unreasonable’ clauses from their work contracts, the Fisheries Agency said

Staff Writer, with CNA

The rights of migrants working in the nation’s fishery industry will be better protected after the Act Governing Distant Water Fisheries (遠洋漁業條例) comes into effect on Jan. 20, the Fisheries Agency said.

According to the new law, the agency is authorized to establish rules managing local brokers and map out measures to protect the welfare and rights of migrant fishery workers hired to work on Taiwanese fishing boats, the agency said.

The agency was responding to media reports on the death of an Indonesian fishery worker aboard a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Futzuchun, in August last year.

Supriyanto, in his 40s, died of septicemia from infected wounds, because he was not provided with timely treatment after being assaulted aboard the vessel about a month earlier, according to a Control Yuan report issued in October last year.

Supriyanto was hired via illegal labor brokers in Taiwan and Indonesia, according to local media.

Taiwanese authorities do not have jurisdiction over agreements signed between Indonesian brokers and fishery workers, the agency said.

One of the provisions of the act requires local brokers to submit contracts with foreign brokers and contracts between foreign brokers and foreign workers to be hired by Taiwanese employers to Taiwanese authorities.

The new law is expected to substantially increase the protection afforded migrant fishery workers after weeding out “unreasonable” clauses in such contracts, the agency said.

At the urging of the Control Yuan, the Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office has reopened the investigation into Supriyanto’s death.

The Control Yuan also censured Fisheries Agency, saying that its regulations and oversight of employment agencies and employers of fishery workers, such as Supriyanto, were inadequate.

The agency was negligent and tardy in investigating Supriyanto’s death and compensating his family, the Control Yuan said.

Meanwhile, the agency said that the nation’s deep-sea fishing vessels caught fishing illegally would face a maximum fine of NT$30 million (US$937,354) after the act comes into force.

According to the law, vessels of more than 500 tonnes can be fined between NT$6 million and NT$30 million, while those between 100 tonnes and 500 tonnes can be fined between NT$4 million and NT$20 million.

Ships between 50 tonnes and 100 tonnes can be fined between NT$2 million and NT$10 million, while those under 50 tonnes can be fined between NT$1 million and NT$5 million.

Repeat offenders would face fines of up to NT$45 million.

In addition to the fines, the operators and fishermen can have their licenses recalled or revoked.

Agency Deputy Director-General Huang Hung-yan (黃鴻燕) said that the statute was enacted as part of a government effort to remove Taiwan from an EU fishery watch list.

In October last year, the European Commission gave Taiwan a “yellow card” and warned that the nation risks being identified as uncooperative in the fight against “illegal, unreported and unregulated” fishing.

Advocates demand Philippines assist workers in Taiwan

Staff Writer, with CNA

Members of several groups advocating migrant workers’ rights yesterday protested outside the Philippines’ representative office in Taipei, demanding that the office help them handle labor issues.

The protest coincided with International Migrants Day.

The Taiwan chapter of Migrante International said workers from the Philippines contribute to the economic development of their home nation, sending back US$2.7 billion a year from the nations where they work.

However, it said they still face unreasonable working conditions, such as overtime and work not disclosed in their contracts, and need the support of their government to address the problems.

Wong Ying-dah (汪英達), director of the Service the People Association in Taoyuan, said one problem for Filipino workers in Taiwan is a wage affidavit they sign upon their arrival.

The document sets a room and board fee different from that shown in their contract with broker agencies, but as the Philippine government certifies both documents despite the discrepancy, brokers can charge the workers additional fees, Wang said.

Also, although the Philippine government in 2006 announced that fishing workers and domestic helpers working overseas are exempt from brokerage fees and can receive refunds for their payments to the brokers, migrant workers who ask for the refund are often threatened by brokerage companies, Wang said.

The groups hope that Manila will tackle the problems and put the companies that have allegedly threatened Filipino workers on a black list, Wang said.

An official from the Manila Economic and Cultural Office accepted the protesters’ petition and returned to the office without making any statements.

The protesters also asked the representative office to stay open on weekends, when the workers are usually off, so that they would not have to pay brokers additional fees to handle their passport matters while they work.

Independence crucial, seminar told

By Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter

New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang gives a speech on Dec. 10. in Taipei.

Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

New Power Party Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and other advocates yesterday said that, despite US President Barack Obama’s comments, independence is still a necessity for Taiwan.

Obama on Friday said that Taiwanese have “a high degree of self-determination” and that “Taiwanese have agreed that as long as they’re able to continue to function with some degree of autonomy, that they won’t charge forward and declare independence.”

Obama’s ideas about Taiwan seem to be entrenched in a decades-old mindset, which was first forged when the US switched official diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China and adopted the “one China” policy, Huang said at a seminar held to discuss issues pertaining to Taiwanese independence organized by the Taiwan Association of University Professors.

After years of democratization, Taiwan is a considerably different nation from when the US was shaping its “one China” policy, Huang said.

“There is a large gap between Obama’s speech and the Taiwanese perception [of reality]. Taiwan is already a sovereign nation, but many countries still do not recognize it. To break out from that predicament, we have to work toward normalizing the nation,” Huang said.

“Obama, as the US president, should understand the values of democracy, and those values entitle Taiwanese to the right to make Taiwan a normalized country,” he said.

Calling on all political parties in the US to support Taiwan, Huang encouraged the incoming administration of US president-elect Donald Trump to re-examine Washington’s “one China” policy and treat Taiwan like a true ally instead of a bargaining chip.

Academia Sinica assistant research fellow Wu Rwei-ren (吳叡人) said Obama’s remarks indicated no departure from previous US policies on Taiwan, whereas both houses of the US Congress in July passed legislation reaffirming the “six assurances,” marking an improvement in Taiwan-US relations.

The “bidding” between Obama and Trump over Taiwan-US relations forced Obama to reiterate the US’ commitment to Taiwan, effectively preventing China from interfering in Taiwan’s de facto independence, Wu said.

Although Trump might use Taiwan as a bargaining chip against China, the deals he wanted to reach — including China making concessions over trade and the disputed South China Sea — are hardly attainable, so Trump’s move could help stabilize Taiwan’s status and create a rare opportunity for reassessing the US’ “one China” policy, Wu said.

Thus far, Taiwan is the “small winner” of the Obama-Trump exchange, as the nation has succeeded in gaining rare international attention without being a troublemaker, he said.

Taiwanese independence is absolutely necessary given that Chinese expansionism and imperialism is on the rise and Trump’s administration might implement unorthodox foreign policies, Wu said.

“Under China’s economic and military threat, Taiwan’s efforts to deepen its democracy have been deterred to the point that the nation’s de facto independence could be compromised,” Wu said.

Apparent attempts by China to interfere with Taiwan’s autonomy include military activities, economic invasion, collusion with Taiwanese politicians and businesses and acquisitions of Taiwanese media to manipulate society, he said.

Other attempts include restricting Taiwan from amending the Constitution and the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to attain a direct democracy.

The Democratic Progressive Party, which on Friday last week raised a motion to shelve proposals for a referendum on amending the constitutional definition of Taiwan’s territories, seems to be cooperating with Beijing to prevent a direct democracy, he said.

While the Additional Articles of the Constitution stipulate that a proposal passed by the Legislative Yuan on territorial changes should be ratified by a referendum, it was considered by the government to be “too controversial and too provocative” to be written into law, suggesting China’s influence over Taiwan’s democratic development, Huang said.

Taiwanese groups run US ad to debunk ‘one China’

By Huang Tai-lin  /  Staff Reporter

Several Taiwanese-American organizations on Friday took out a full-page advertisement in a US newspaper saying that Taiwan is not a part of China and calling on US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration to formulate US policy that “provides more dignity and respect for the leaders and people of Taiwan.”

Trump answered a congratulatory telephone call from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) earlier this month and in a recent interview with Fox News suggested he would not necessarily be bound by Washington’s long-standing “one China” commitment, unless the US won some trade concessions from Beijing.

The advertisement in the Washington Times is headed by a statement in red that reads: “Taiwan is not part of China. Taiwan is no bargaining chip.”

The ad, jointly placed by a group of Taiwanese-American organizations including the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), the North American Taiwanese Professors Association and the World United Formosans for Independence, expresses appreciation to Trump for his telephone conversation with Tsai, and lauds Taiwan’s democratic accomplishments and the close relationship between the US and Taiwan.

The ad says that Taiwan has been one of the US’ staunchest allies for more than 50 years, and that it is the US’ ninth-largest trading partner as well as the world’s 22nd-largest economy.

However, it says that despite these accomplishments, “Taiwan continues to be treated like a pariah in and by the international community.”

“High-level officials from Taiwan are not allowed to come to Washington DC ... Taiwan is not a member of any international organization that requires statehood,” it says, adding that Taiwanese are banned from entering the UN’s headquarters in New York.

“Although the US regards Taiwan’s international status as undetermined, its ‘One China Policy’ is all too often misinterpreted to imply that Taiwan is part of China. This constrains Taiwan’s ability to fully participate in world affairs,” the ad says.

Concluding that “America’s Taiwan policy is unsustainable,” the ad urges “President-elect Trump to continue to develop a US policy that provides more dignity and respect for the leaders and people of Taiwan and further strengthen the ties between the two democratic nations.”

FAPA President Peter Chen (陳正義) said Taiwanese-Americans are encouraged by the groundbreaking Trump-Tsai phone call.

“So we want to make sure that the new administration continues on this road of unlimited promise,” he said. “Taiwan has been used as a pawn by great powers for far too long. The time is now that the US and the world look at Taiwan on its own merits, not as a bargaining chip.”

He also urged policymakers in Washington to view the Trump-Tsai phone call as “a stepping stone toward building a US policy that provides more dignity and respect for Taiwan and its people.”

Most employers breaking migrant caregiver rules: poll

Staff writer, with CNA

Foreign nationals working as domestic caregivers in Taiwan worked an average of 9.8 hours per day in June, while 82 percent of employers failed to follow regulations on working hours for migrant caregivers, according to the results of a Ministry of Labor survey issued yesterday.

The survey also found that 93 percent of foreign caregivers were allowed to receive at least eight hours of rest per day in the month.

The poll results show that foreign workers hired by businesses received an average of NT$25,440 per month in June, although the average wage for foreign caregivers was NT$19,643.

In terms of working hours, foreign workers hired by companies worked 210.7 hours on average in June, including 33.3 overtime hours, and received eight days off, the survey showed.

It also said 65.5 percent of foreign caregivers had fully or partially used their regular paid days off for the month, up 1.6 percent from June last year, while 98 percent of employers paid foreign caregivers who did not take their paid time off.

The survey found that 45.9 percent of businesses and 36.6 percent of families who employ foreign workers said they have encountered difficulty in the management of foreign workers, including poor communication.

The survey collected responses from 10,404 employers, including 5,839 companies and 4,565 families.

Changes to naturalization for foreign spouses outlined

By Chen Hung-ta and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The Legislative Yuan has relaxed naturalization regulations for foreign spouses, including changing the rules to allowing foreigners who have been divorced or whose Taiwanese spouse has died to apply for naturalization if they meet certain conditions.

The changes were made in amendments to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that were passed on Friday last week.

The act stipulates that foreigners must return to their nation of origin and renounce their citizenship before applying for Republic of China (ROC) citizenship, but there have been cases where the applications for ROC citizenship have been rejected, leaving the applicant stateless, the Ministry of the Interior said.

Under the amendments, foreigners will have a year from naturalization to provide documentation that they have renounced their former nationality, the ministry said.

If such proof is not provided within the one-year period, the applicant’s ROC citizenship will be revoked, although there are provisions to extend the deadline if legal systems in their nation of origin require more than one year’s time, the ministry said.

On the issue of needing to provide statements of financial independence, the ministry said if foreigners applying for naturalization are spouses of ROC citizens, they do not need to provide such documentation, and foreigners who have lost their spousal status through divorce due to domestic violence or because of the death of their spouse will also not be asked to provide such documents.

As for complaints about a controversial clause stipulating that applicants must “be of upright moral character, with no criminal record,” the ministry has agreed to change the wording to: “no inappropriate habit or behavior, or record of criminal past as recorded by the police.”

The ministry said it would be meeting with academic experts to provide clearer wording and definitions.

In addition, applicants whose applications have been turned down or who lost their naturalized status will be allowed to defend their case in front of a committee panel, the ministry said.

Foreigners who have not remarried after divorcing their Taiwanese partner due to abuse or whose spouse has died, as well as those who can prove to be in regular contact with the family of their Taiwanese spouse, will be given conditional naturalization, the ministry said.

Those who were married to a Taiwanese for more than two years before their spouse died would not be restricted by the condition of “maintaining contact with family,” the ministry said, adding that the individuals in these latter cases will only have to wait three years to receive an ROC ID card instead of the usual five.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Li-chan (林麗蟬) said that even though the changes were not completely satisfactory, she was glad to see the amendments passed and felt that they merited a score of 70 out of 100.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) said she hopes the amendments would reduce discrimination on the basis of gender, nationality, ethnicity and class, as such discrimination has prevented dual-nationality individuals from being employed in Taiwan.

Ministry statistics showed 116,167 foreigners have been naturalized between 1987 and October this year, and there are 53,903 applications pending review.

Last year, 90.67 percent of naturalization applications were submitted by foreign spouses of Taiwanese, 76.31 percent (2,703) of whom were Vietnamese, the ministry said.