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Custody dispute raises security fears at Brazil's office

The Brazil Business Center yesterday decided to close its doors in the afternoons for "security reasons" until Taiwanese-Brazilian Iruan Ergui Wu (吳憶樺) returns to Brazil.

"This temporary security measure of closing our office every af-ternoon will be maintained until the day when Iruan is successfully escorted back to Brazil, which should be sometime around the end of the year," said Paulo Pinto, director of the center.

On Nov. 14, the Supreme Court upheld the Taiwan High Court's decision that Iruan's legal guardian is his Brazilian grandmother, Rosa Ergui, and the boy should be returned to her.

However, Iruan's Taiwanese relatives have not given up their fight to keep him in this country.

On Thursday, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) visited Iruan, his uncle Wu Huo-yen (吳火眼) and other family members at a coffee shop in Kaohsiung.

Her comments that children's human rights should be protected and respected in cases such as Iruan's and that the articles of the Civil Code concerning the guardianship of children should be tempered by taking the children's point of view into account renewed the furor over the long-running custody fight.

The Wu family insists that Iruan should stay in Taiwan until he finishes his education.

The family asked Lu to help them keep Iruan in Taiwan but the vice president did not respond.

Speaking on behalf of Iruan's Brazilian relatives, Pinto said Lu's remarks had hurt their feelings.

"This [the verdict] is a done deal by the court," he said.

On Monday, Pinto told the Taipei Times that to welcome Iruan home to Brazil, the University of Brazil-Luterana has agreed to sponsor Iruan's education through college. In addition, Pinto said, a private instructor will be provided help Iruan continue learning Mandarin Chinese. He also said Iruan would be more than welcome to return to Taiwan for vacations.
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