The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed reports that eight Taiwanese women who last year traveled to Australia on working holiday visas were forced to perform sexual favors for their employer.
In a report published in October titled Slavery and Slavery-like Practices in South Australia: A Report, Flinders University associate professor Marinella Marmo cited an anonymous representative of Australia’s National Union of Workers as saying that eight Taiwanese women on working holiday visas in South Australia’s Riverland region were “expected to, if they wanted to get to work, so they could afford to pay for all these other things, perform sexual favors to get more hours.”
They were “in that environment for quite some time before they were able to speak up, for six months,” the report said.
Photo: CNA
The women, who have all since left Australia, did not request assistance from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Australia at the time, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry and the office would continue to seek details about the case from the Australian authorities, it said.
The ministry reminded Taiwanese on working holidays to take self-protection measures and remain alert, saying that when Taiwanese encounter emergencies or mistreatment and require assistance, they should contact the ministry or its overseas offices immediately.
In Australia, Taiwanese can also report situations to the Fair Work Ombudsman or the Fair Work Commission, the ministry said.
Taiwanese on working holidays abroad should follow “seven don’ts and five dos,” the ministry said.
Do not work illegally, overstay, engage in dangerous activities, speed, drive under the influence, drive while tired, or accept packages or mail from unknown senders, it said.
Do remember to log the trip, maintain contact with family members, purchase medical insurance, pay attention to workplace safety, and follow local laws and traffic regulations, it added.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS