The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday slammed claims that Taiwan would become a “land of rapists” if Indian migrant workers are allowed into the nation and said they were attempts by foreign forces to intervene in Taiwan’s affairs.
Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) on Monday last week confirmed that Taiwan and India are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding before the end of this year on recruiting Indian migrant workers to Taiwan.
Since then, Taiwanese social media platforms have been inundated with inflammatory and derogative posts about the plan, MOFA said on Facebook, adding that such messages were misleading and harmed Taiwan’s international image.
Photo: screen grab from a Ministry of Foreign Affairs livestream
They also undermine efforts to promote warming Taiwan-India ties, it said.
MOFA is to meet with the India Taipei Association to clarify the misunderstanding, Department of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Deputy Director-General Chen Chuin-chi (陳俊吉) said.
Taiwan is a multiethnic country that respects human rights and is resolutely against discrimination or biased views against specific groups, MOFA said.
It urged the public to recognize cognitive warfare tactics and refrain from posting or forwarding false or misleading information.
It said that it hoped Indians who are part of the Milk Tea Alliance would not believe that the posts originated from Taiwan.
The Milk Tea Alliance started out as an online war of words between netizens supporting and criticizing China’s actions and policies and has grown multinational.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old