A Taiwanese employer has been indicted by the Banciao Prosecutors’ Office on a charge of coercion for allegedly forcing Indonesian workers to eat pork.
Noting that religious freedom is a universal value, the prosecutors charged Chang Wen-ling (張雯琳), wife of Shin Hua Hang Fashion Co’s owner, of disrespecting her worker’s religion and violating their human rights, conduct that harmed the nation’s image. The prosecutors suggested a sentence of eight months for Chang.
According to the prosecutors, in September 2008 Chang used false documents to hire three Indonesian workers as caretakers, but it was later found that she had arranged for the trio to work in a factory. Citing the workers’ complaints, the prosecutors said the three were asked to work from 7am to midnight and forced to eat pork for seven months. In February last year, the three wrote a letter to Taipei County Government’s labor department asking for help, the prosecutors said.
After two inspection visits by bureau officials along with police, Chang and the broker through which she employed the trio were charged with violation of the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (人口販運防治法), the prosecutors said.
In a court hearing, Chang admitted she wanted the three to eat pork “so they would have more energy to do work,” but said that she did not force them to.
As the crime was committed before the Human Trafficking Prevention Act was enacted last June, the charge of violating the Human Trafficking Prevention Act against Chang and the broker was dropped, the prosecutors said.
While there have been rumors in the past about Muslim Indonesians being forced by their employers to eat pork, Taiwan International Workers Association yesterday said the Chang case marked the first time in which such a rumor has been found to have substance in a judicial case since Taiwan allowed the hiring of foreign workers in 1991.
The association said foreign workers in need of advice can call (02)2595-6858 for assistance.
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