In a bid to ease up on Taiwan's infamous policy of deporting foreigners with HIV/AIDS, the Department of Health (DOH) yesterday proposed easing immigration restrictions to allow them to stay in the country for a fortnight.
The revision to the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Control Act (
Faced with the rapid spread of AIDS in China, the department also included people from China, Macau and Hong Kong in the draft.
"The draft is made out of respect for civil liberty, as well as out of necessity to stem the epidemic," said Lin Ting (林頂), deputy director-general of the Center for Disease Control.
The center's latest statistics show that foreign people living with the disease account for 7 percent of the total reported cases in Taiwan. Since the reporting system was put into place in 1984, a total of 488 foreign cases have been identified.
Under the current law, foreigners will be deported if they are found to be HIV positive. Their visas are annulled and their names are permanently listed in official records, resulting in automatic refusal of any future application for an entry visa. Unless the revision is ratified and promulgated, their deportation is permanent.
While health officials hailed the DOH's revision as a victory for human rights, patient groups and health experts described it as an "ostrich policy."
"The point is not how long we allow them to stay," said Ivory Lin (
"The point is whether we allow them to stay. The biggest shame is the fact that our government restricts their freedom of movement in the name of public health," Lin said.
Many couples are forced to separate because of the restriction, according to Lin, whose association has filed applications on behalf of 24 couples to prevent a spouse's deportation. All 24 applications were turned down.
"Think about that: It is 24 families ruined," Lin said.
Health experts hold similar views.
"This [revision] says less about our government's care for AIDS patients than about its violation of fundamental human rights," said Chen Yi-ming (
According to Chen, the deportation law is both unethical and ineffectual.
"How can deportation help drive down the infection rate? The link between these two is tenuous," Chen said.
According to Chen, it is impossible to shield the nation from the disease by means of legislation. The 600,000 Taiwanese businesspeople living in China, which has been severely hit by AIDS, and the 3 million Taiwanese traveling abroad each year add to the nation's vulnerability to the virus.
"Every unsafe sex act is a chink in the armor against AIDS. It is about sex education and condom usage. It is not about law and punishment," Chen said.
The draft did not make it onto the Legislative Yuan's agenda yesterday, since all the legislators on the Standing Committee of Sanitation, Environment and Social Welfare were taking part in campaign activities for the upcoming elections. The draft bill has been put on hold until the end of next month.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man