Mon, Feb 10, 2003 page1

• Foreign workers mourn death of crippled activist

  • By Melody Chen / STAFF REPORTER
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  Foreign workers mourned presidential advisor Liu Hsia (劉俠), who died after allegedly being attacked by her Indonesian caregiver on Saturday, at Taipei's Home of Migrants Empowerment (HOME) yesterday.

  "More than a hundred foreign workers joined the mourning. Some wept bitterly over her death," said Lorna Kung (龔尤倩), former director of HOME.

  "I feel so sorry about the tragedy," said Flora, a mourning Indonesian worker.

  The mourners held hands with each other and sung the Indonesian folk song Hero for Liu, Flora said.

  "We [Indonesian workers] really treasure the opportunity to work in Taiwan. We hope this incident will not affect our work opportunities here," she said.

  Flora said she hoped a similar tragedy would never happen again.

  "We are so far away from our hometowns. Working in a foreign land can be very stressful. Sometimes we really don't know how to relieve our pressure," said Flora.

  Flora said she wished to establish an organization where Indonesian workers in Taiwan could support each other.

  The Taipei District Court yesterday granted prosecutors' request to detain Liu's caregiver, identified only as Vinarsih.

  Melda, another mourning Indonesian worker, said in tears that Liu once publicly acclaimed Vinarsih's performance. "We know that she never meant to injure Liu. She did not beat her intentionally," Melda said.

  Winertim, an Indonesian worker, said she did not fell very happy about the incident. She said, however, she was not worried the event would affect people's desire to hire foreign workers.

  The Council of Labor Affairs halted the importation of Indonesian workers last August because of the Indonesians' high rates of abscondence.

  Meanwhile, Vinarsih firmly denied she had attacked Liu and was in a very unstable condition, prosecutors said. Nevertheless, Liu's 85-year-old mother claimed she witnessed Vinarsih beat her daughter.

  The police continue collecting forensic evidence to verify the cause of Liu's death.

  Coroners and doctors at the Tri-Service General Hospital, where Liu was hospitalized after the alleged attack, planned to conduct an autopsy on Liu's body, according to the police.

  The police also requested treatment for Vinarsih in the Mackay Memorial Hospital. Vinarsih has been dignosed with conversion disorder, a type of hysteria , the hospital reported.

  According to psychiatrist Shu Chien-chi (徐堅棋): "The disorder occurs when the patient confronts an acute stressor that creates a psychic conflict. The patient may suffer blindness, paralysis, anesthesia and gait disturbance."

  "The physical symptoms serve as the resolution of the conflict. The patient may repress the stressor or be unaware of its impact," Shu said.

  Vinarsh said, however, that she had never been diagnosed with the syndrome before. "I never beat anyone," she said.

  Meanwhile, the Eden Social Welfare Foundation, an organization established by Liu for the disabled, and Chiuko Publishing Co, which published most of Liu's literary works, decided to publish a book to commemorate Liu.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei killed

  • 2

    For Bangladesh, just playing is a win

  • 3

    Iran prepare for Women’s Asian Cup in Australia as bombs drop on homeland

  • 4

    Marco Bezzecchi wins MotoGP opener

  • 5

    Liverpool rocked by last-gasp defeat at Wolves