The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday said it would provide a study record for a student who said he was expelled from the National Defense University because he is HIV-positive, and temporarily stop asking him to return a NT$800,000 (US$25,141) scholarship.
The ministry did not specify when the record would be issued or whether it planned to revoke the repayment order.
The announcement came hours after the Executive Yuan asked the ministry to give the student a certificate recognizing his education and to annul the scholarship repayment order.
At a general meeting of the Executive Yuan, Premier Lin Chuan (林全) decided that the ministry should give the certificate to the expelled student and it should stop demanding that he return the NT$800,000 scholarship, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) said.
The student, named A-li (a pseudonym), tested positive for HIV in 2012 and was expelled in 2013 for what the school said was a poor attitude and conduct.
The university, after receiving the HIV test results, reportedly banned A-li from swimming classes, forced him to wash his eating utensils separately from other students, tried repeatedly to convince him to drop out and threatened to tell his family about his condition if he refused to do so.
Chen said Lin was displeased with the ministry’s about-face, as it last week issued a statement saying it would not stop demanding that A-li return the scholarship, following Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan’s (馮世寬) verbal promise not to pursue it.
The decision was referred to the ministry, Chen said, calling on the ministry to respect the Executive Yuan’s instructions and rescind the scholarship repayment order altogether.
Lin’s decision came after President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) expressed her support for A-li on Saturday, saying people with HIV/AIDS should not be discriminated against, and should instead receive additional care.
The Executive Yuan’s stance on protecting the rights of people with HIV/AIDS is in line with Tsai’s, Chen said.
Although it did not ask the university to reinstate A-li, the Ministry of Health and Welfare last week imposed a NT$1 million fine on the university for discrimination.
Chen said the Executive Yuan respects the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s decision to fine the university.
According to a Chinese-language United Evening News report yesterday, A-li has insisted that the university issue a public apology, admit to discriminating against students with HIV, accept the Ministry of Health and Welfare ’s fine, give him an education certificate and compensate him for losses.
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