Cabinet threatens Thai workers

"The bottom line is that we'll adopt necessary measures to ensure the nation's dignity and protect its independent spirit."

Lin Chia-lung, Cabinet spokesman

The Cabinet might reconsider its foreign worker policy toward Thailand in retaliation for a Thai demand that Taiwanese visitors wear masks at all times while they are in the country.

The move by the Thai authorities was designed to hinder the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

"The bottom line is that we'll adopt necessary measures to ensure the nation's dignity and protect its independent spirit," said Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).

There are about 110,000 Thai workers in Taiwan, or about 37 percent of the total foreign workforce. Despite the lack of diplomatic ties, Taiwan is Thailand's third-largest source of foreign investment after Japan and Hong Kong.

The Council of Labor Affairs began sorting through the backlog of some 5,000 employment applications for Thai workers in January after Taiwan and Thailand ended their diplomatic row over Thailand's refusal to issue a visa to the council's chairwoman, Chen Chu (陳菊), by signing a direct-hiring pact.

Although the council decided not to halt the importation of Thai workers, it extended the process for applications from 35 days to 70 days between August and December last year.

Also in January, the council was studying the feasibility of banning the importation of Thai laborers in retaliation for Thailand's refusal to grant visas to a legislative mission.

The 19-member delegation, headed by legislative Vice Speaker Chiang Pin-kun (江丙坤), canceled the Thai leg of its trip and left for a six-day visit to Malaysia and the Philippines.

Refusing to elaborate more on the approach the government may take, Lin said that the Cabinet will decide today on how to respond to the Thai government's hostile measures as well as those of other foreign countries for Taiwanese visitors during a closed-door SARS response meeting.

During the meeting, Lin said, the foreign ministry and health department will present reports on their recent negotiations with the Thai government as well as Indonesian and Singaporean governments.

"We'd really hate to make a hasty decision based on second-hand or unofficial information," Lin said.

According to Lin, the Thai government has explained to the foreign ministry that its mask rule is a "conditional request," which applies to only those air travelers suspected of SARS and not all Taiwanese travelers.

"There might be an inconsistency between the policy and its implementation," Lin said.

As for the Thai government's listing Taiwan as an infected area, Lin said that it had a lot to do with their recognition of the "one China" policy.

"`One China' not only distorts the true meaning of the Republic of China but also sabotages the nation's substantive interests," Lin said.

The Thai Ministry of Public Health on April 2 demanded that all travelers from China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Taiwan wear masks for the first 14 days of their visits to the country.

It also urged Thais to avoid visiting Taiwan, which it said was among the areas worst affected by SARS.

In protest over the Thai government's requirement that visitors from Taiwan wear masks while on Thai soil, Li Jih-heng (李志恆), director-general of the National Bureau of Controlled Drugs under the Department of Health, canceled his trip to Bangkok where he was originally scheduled to attend the 14th annual meeting of the International Ergonomics Association.

On Friday, DPP Legislator Lo Shih-hsiung (羅世雄) threatened to launch a national campaign to boycott travel to Thailand unless Bangkok withdrew the measures.