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Taiwan News Quick Take

■ SOCIETY

Dog abuse misreported

The Thailand Trade and Economic Office (TTEO) in Taipei denied yesterday that Thai workers were involved in the maltreatment of a dog, an accusation leveled by local television news channels last week. “This news has damaged the Thai people’s image in Taiwan,” the TTEO said, adding that no Thai people were involved in the abuse. The news channels reported on Sept. 29 that six foreign workers had maltreated a pregnant dog in Kaohsiung County. Some of the channels claimed the workers were from Thailand. The TVBS news channel later released a correction on its Web site, saying that the six workers were not from Thailand, and instead two of the suspects were Vietnamese and Cambodian.



■ TRAVEL

Japan still requires visas

The National Immigration Agency (NIA) on Friday reminded those who want to study in Japan to seek a student visa before going there or face the possibility of being refused entry. The NIA issued the reminder after a Taiwanese student was rejected entry at Kansai International Airport outside of Osaka. Immigration officials said that Japan waived its visitor visa requirements for Taiwanese nationals two years ago, and some local residents have mistaken this to mean that they can enter and leave Japan freely. In fact, the visa-free treatment is for those who travel to Japan for sightseeing or to visit friends, the officials said, adding that those who want to engage in any other activities must still apply for the proper visa.



■ LABOR

Police arrest broker

Police discovered a human-smuggling ring in the mountains of Hsinchu County on Friday, rescuing 10 illegal workers — nine men and one woman — from Thailand. Police also arrested a suspect, surnamed Huang, who was turned over to the Hsinchu Prosecutors Office on charges of obstruction of freedom and violation of the Employment Services Act (就業服務法). Police said they received a tip that Huang and an accomplice surnamed Hsieh acted as brokers for illegal foreign laborers, finding them odd jobs. The foreign laborers, more than 50 of them at one point, were housed in tents in the mountainous region of Hsinpu Township (新埔). Huang seized the workers’ passports and residence permits to control them, police said. He demanded NT$800 per day from each laborer, netting NT$1 million, police said. He and his accomplice threatened to report the foreign laborers — who were on the run from their legitimate employers — to the authorities if they did not comply with demands, police said.



■ POLITICS

DPP event boycott proposed

Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) yesterday said the Presidential Office is in support of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus’ call for government officials not to attend events hosted by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus. The KMT caucus issued the call after Minister of the Department of Health Yeh Ching-chuan (葉金川) was caught in a scuffle between KMT and DPP legislators at the Legislative Yuan on Friday. KMT and DPP lawmakers later accused each other of grabbing Yeh by the neck and throttling him. Saying that the DPP lawmakers’ use of violence against government officials was what prompted the KMT caucus to issue the call, Wang yesterday said the Presidential Office in general supported the KMT caucus’ move, which he said was made to uphold government officials’ dignity and security.


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