The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) threatened yesterday to revise an agreement with Thailand covering Thai workers, following a report that Bangkok might refuse to issue Council Chairperson Chen Chui's (
"Since Thailand's Labor Ministry has issued an official invitation to Chairwoman Chen Chui, she is seriously considering visiting Thailand," the council said in a press release issued yesterday.
"If the Thai government varies any of the already-arranged schedules for the bilateral meeting because of some political influences, it would complicate bilateral labor issues."
We would reconsider attending the Seventh Taiwan-Thailand workers' meeting and reconsider the bilateral relationship regarding workers' affairs," the council said in its statement.
The press release followed a Central News Agency report from Thailand that quoted the Thai-language Mathichon newspaper as saying that Thailand's foreign ministry had decided not to issue a visa to Chen in order to avoid upsetting China.
Taiwan and Thailand have held meetings on labor issues for seven years. It is Thailand's turn to host the meeting this year, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Chen told reporters last night that she was upset about the report she might not be granted a visa.
"I haven't even made the decision whether to go or not. Why would Thailand issue an invitation and then change its mind?" she said.
She noted that there are 120,000 Thai workers in Taiwan and Taiwan has taken care of more than 1 million workers in the past decade.
"I can't understand why Thailand would change arrangements about this kind of routine meeting," Chen said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) said yesterday that negotiations for a visa for Chen are still underway.
Chen is scheduled to depart for Thailand on Thursday.
"It's not really necessary for Taiwan to attend the meeting, but Thailand should take the matter very seriously," Chen said.
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