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Protesters decry Chinese bedding

Members of the local bedding industry staged a demonstration in front of the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection in Taipei yesterday calling for the destruction of "poisonous" Chinese bedding.

Members of the Self-Help Alliance of Taiwan's Bedding Industry, accompanied by Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛), led the demonstration.

The demonstrators said that bedding imported from China had excessive amounts of residual chemicals that may be harmful.

"Destroy the black-hearted Chinese bedding now," dozens of demonstrators shouted outside the bureau while holding signs.

An attempt by the demonstrators to burn bedding made in China in front of the bureau was stopped by the police.

Not long after the protest began, the demonstrators and Lai were invited into the bureau for a meeting with officials.

"We [the alliance] discovered the illegal residual chemicals in May and reported our findings to you," alliance chairman Li Wen-chun (李文圳) told officials. "You didn't believe us, so you did your own tests, and the test results were similar."

Test results released by the bureau on Aug. 13 showed that some bedding imported from China contained excessive amounts of formaldehyde.

"[Bureau officials] told us you would take care of it in May. You said so again on Aug. 13, and again last week," Li said. "Another week has gone by, but we still found the same products in stores on Monday -- what exactly have you done?"

Bureau deputy director Chang Cheng-hui (張正輝) said that the bureau had already ordered a recall, and the merchandise was in the process of being returned to the wholesaler.

The Consumer Protection Law (消費者保護法) stipulates that authorities may order manufacturers or retailers to improve, recall or confiscate and burn problem products.

The bureau's response angered some alliance members.

"Such bedding is already endangering people's health, so it would be legitimate to confiscate and burn it right away," Lai said.

After a two-hour debate, the bureau finally promised to launch a complete examination of bedding at retailers today and have all illegal products burned by next Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet said it had formed a special task force to deal with issues related to dangerous merchandise. Unsafe products can be reported at www.unsafeimports.nat.gov.tw.
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