The Council of Labor Affairs said yesterday it would need more time to assess whether a proposal by the Grand Hotel to have foreign performers put on topless shows during the Lunar New Year constitutes public indecency.
The hotel had planned on hiring performers from Las Vegas to put on shows such as sword-swallowing, circus acts and topless dancing.
However, the hotel’s plans were put on hold when the council told the hotel it would need more time to assess its application to hire foreign workers to put on performances involving partial nudity.
The council said it would discuss the matter with academics and government agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education, on the grounds that topless shows may constitute public indecency and violate laws such as the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) and the Criminal Code (刑法), said Chen Jui-chia (陳瑞嘉), section chief at the council’s Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training.
The council would also need to review a video recording of the performance to determine whether to approve the work permit, the council said.
In response to the council’s refusal to approve the work permit before the Lunar New Year holiday, Wu Kuo-hsin (吳國信), chairman of the performing group’s agency, Art Orient Entertainment, said: “[The council] views the topless show as a form of pornography.”
Wu said the Las Vegas-style performances were a form of family entertainment that is acceptable in many countries.
Although the council has yet to rule on the application, the hotel will nevertheless be unable to offer topless shows during the holiday next week, as council officials would not be at work for a week because of the Lunar New Year holidays.
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