Not long ago Taiwan was worrying about the spread of the hantavirus. Now a virus seems like nothing in comparison with a serious wave of suicides. Turn on the TV and you will hear frequent reports of people killing themselves over unemployment, relationship problems, poor health and family disputes. Such reports appear to be flooding the media. Like hypnotic commands, the reports work on people with suicidal tendencies as if they were lemmings. Our society appears to be falling into a vicious circle -- the increase in the number of suicides in turn increases the reporting on suicides.
Suicide occurs for many reasons. However, the fallout from unemployment -- the loss of income and social and self respect, interruptions to personal relationships and family order -- have become the most commonly cited reasons. According to the Life Line
After the 921 earthquake, a wave of suicides struck central Taiwan. Since the economy began to nosedive in the middle of last year, the unemployment rate began to surge. Government statistics show the unemployment rate reached 3.35 percent in January. News of layoffs by major business enterprises have become more frequent. Premier Chang Chun-hsiung
Faced with the prevalence of unemployment-related suicides, Chang has promised to establish a special task force to assist the unemployed and offer counseling to groups at high risk of suicide. Such measures will, however, be limited in their effects. Although the international economy also declined last year, Taiwan's economy has been hit by a combination of economic and political instabilities of our own making. Taiwan's politicians are largely responsible for this mess and are morally obligated to remedy the situation.
The Executive Yuan has increased investment in public construction projects in an attempt to stimulate the economy -- but that is not enough. The government should stimulate private investment with even greater investment in public construction projects, creating even more employment opportunities. In the past, the government's subsidies to low-income families and unemployed individuals were based on assumptions about the level of unemployment that are now out of date, providing an inadequte basis from which to redress the problem.
Taiwan is a highly interactive society with tight interpersonal and mass-media-communication nets. A social phenomenon spreads easily. This can work for the common good, since the power of social networks easily reach to individuals and families. The government should work with religious and private volunteer social groups to construct a social safety and mutual-assistance network, so that those suffering from suicidal tendencies can receive both government and private assistance, and economic and psychological counseling. The media should also exercise self-restraint in the reporting of suicides to avoid aggravating the situation. It is the joint responsibility of government and society at large to minimize the number of suicides.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.