Two of the most important international human rights covenants, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, were ratified last year and later a law incorporating these covenants in Taiwan took effect on International Human Rights Day, giving them legal validity. However, the legal protection offered in Taiwan of important legal interests outlined in the two covenants is lacking, especially legislation to protect against and punish major international criminal offenses like crimes against humanity, torture and hate crimes.
We must therefore make laws to stop Taiwan becoming an international crime haven. In addition, for individuals around the world who have been subjected to the aforementioned types of persecution, especially people in China, Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan should, based on the spirit of humanitarianism, offer protection in a refugee act based on international standards.
Therefore, we have committed ourselves to promoting the establishment and amendment of five laws related to international human rights laws and international humanitarian law, including the establishment of an act governing crimes against humanity and torture, a hate crime act and a refuge act as well as revisions of the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide Act (殘害人群治罪條例) and the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法).
Taiwan should adopt the principle of universal jurisdiction to prevent and punish those that commit crimes the international community deems unacceptable, such as crimes against humanity, torture, genocide and hate crime. The adoption of this principle would give Taiwan the legal jurisdiction to prevent such crimes both domestically and overseas.
Such jurisdiction would also help Taiwan stop foreigners who have committed these crimes from entering the country, although that would involve a revision to Article 18 of the Immigration Act. After a revision of the law, if such individuals were to try to enter, Taiwan would be able to prosecute them. Furthermore, if foreigners in Taiwan who have committed the aforementioned serious crimes have been charged and are wanted in another country, Taiwan could assist with their extradition if requested.
Taiwanese are peace-loving and support equality and will not stand for any actions based on personal prejudice and discrimination that harm the lives of others, their freedom, assets or personal belongings. This is why we are promoting the establishment of an act governing hate crime.
Taiwan should recognize as refugees people who suffer severe natural and man-made disasters according to international human rights standards and offer them protection. This is why we are promoting the drawing up of a refugee act.
US civil rights activist Martin Luther King once said: “The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.”
We, the initiators for the promotion of these laws, including legislators, academics and human rights organizations in Taiwan, lawyers in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as human rights activists in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, would like to make a united call to everyone in Taiwan, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or political ideology, to uphold universal values, follow the duties outlined in the international covenants and promote the creation of these laws based on the spirit of humanitarianism.
(The proposed five human rights laws and petitions can be accessed at www.jrf.org.tw/newjrf/RTE/myform_detail.asp?id=2463)
TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON
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
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.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing