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PFP lawmakers say new anti-SARS rules not fair

Opposition legislators yesterday questioned the justice behind the government's latest revised compulsory quarantine measures governing China-based Taiwanese businesspeople arriving from China, criticizing the law's selectiveness as an "act of discrimination."

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), in an effort to revive domestic businesses as the threat of the SARS virus slowly eased around the region, on Monday relaxed its compulsory quarantine measures for China-based Taiwanese businesspeople arriving from China.

Under the updated rules, those who had registered with the Investment Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs prior to investing in China are not confined to the 10-day mandatory quarantine measures upon arrival from China. In lieu of a 10-day compulsory quarantine, these registered businesspeople -- with a deposition provided by their Taiwan-based headquarters -- ? would not have their movements be restricted in this country but would need only to have take their body temperature taken three times a day during their stay.

However, other Taiwanese businesspeople arriving from China -- those whose ventures in China had not yet been registered with the Investment Commission -- ? would still be confined under the 10-day compulsory quarantine.

"Such measures are unfair," said PFP Legislator Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) in a joint press conference held with his colleague Kao Ming-chien (高明見).

"Are you telling me that the SARS virus would not attack China-based Taiwanese businesspeople but only those whom did not register with the Investment Commission?" Feng said.

Such measures, Feng charged, are tantamount to punitive sanctions deliberately targeting those who did not previously apply for permission from the Investment Commission before making their investments in China.

While he stressed the importance of taking preventive measures against SARS, Feng said that quarantine measures should not be carried out with an attitude of exercising punishment.

Feng called into question the latest changes to the anti-SARS measures which include a provision that Chinese nationals as well as Taiwanese residents arriving from Hong Kong and Macau are not subjected to the 10-day mandatory quarantine upon arriving here, as long as they can obtain a deposition from their Taiwanese business counterparts and provide documents certifying that they don't have SARS symptoms.

"The measure is obviously unfair to other China-based Taiwanese businesspeople who are still are required to undergo a 10-day compulsory quarantine when arriving in Taiwan," said Feng, who called on the government to treat all equally.

"If the government wants to call off compulsory quarantine, it should so do without discrimination," Feng said.

In response, MAC Vice Chairman Johnnason Liu (劉德勳) said that risk consideration should be taken into account, even though the threat of the SARS virus appeared to be easing in the country.

"In a bid to better prevent and control the epidemic's overall development in Taiwan, we have resorted to taking a step-by-step approach when working to relax the compulsory quarantine measures," Liu said.
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