Accompanied by labor activists, dozens of migrant workers from Indonesia and the Philippines yesterday rallied at Taipei Main Station to protest the station’s move to block much of the lobby area in an attempt to “protect passengers’ right to pass,” calling it a policy based on discrimination.
Holding up signs written in Chinese, English and Indonesian that read “No to racial discrimination,” “We need a place to stay” and “What’s wrong with holiday celebrations? Racial segregation reappears at Taipei Railroad Station,” dozens of migrant workers gathered outside the train station, protesting its latest measure to prevent people from gathering in its lobby area.
“We just need a place to spend time with our friends on our days off. If we’re prohibited from going into the train station, please tell us where else we can go,” Fitri, an Indonesian worker, told reporters. “We don’t want to cause trouble to anybody.”
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Oria Gayaden, from the Philippines, agreed with Fitri.
“We are here to show support to our Indonesian friends,” she said. “If they are prohibited from spending time in the train station, then where can they go?”
Gayaden went on to say that migrant workers should not be discriminated against and should enjoy equal rights.
The dispute happened after the station management decided earlier this month to block most of the station’s lobby area with retractable belts on Fridays through Sundays, which coincide with days that most migrant workers would gather at the station.
The station made the move because passengers complained that foreign workers were “occupying” the station when they gathered in large numbers for the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, the most important Muslim holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan month, which this year fell on Aug. 19.
Thousands of Indonesian workers gathered outside the station in celebration on the day. However, they moved inside the station during a thunderstorm.
“The Indonesian workers were celebrating their holiday, I don’t see a problem in public places being crowded on special holidays — don’t many public places get crowded on New Year’s Eve or on Lunar New Year?” Taiwan International Workers’ Association secretary-general Chen Hsiu-lian (陳秀蓮) said. “How come the government is not doing anything to prohibit the crowd from gathering at public places?”
The protesters then marched into the train station and sat in the middle of the lobby to show their determination to defend their rights.
The station master, Ku Shih-yen (古時彥), who showed up and spoke briefly with Chen, rebutted accusations that the station’s move is targeted at foreign workers.
“Our job is to make sure that all passengers can walk through the station, it’s not targeted at foreign workers. We would ask Taiwanese who gather in the lobby of the station to leave as well,” Ku said. “We understand their petition, but we would not stop the measure.”
He went on to say that, the station would turn the lobby area into a space for performances or exhibitions next year.
“We would maybe have a fashion show here, or display art work, wouldn’t it look much better than having a bunch of people sitting around in the lobby?” he said.
As foreign workers protested, a man surnamed Ho (何) who happened to pass by shouted in disagreement.
“If foreign workers want to spend their leisure time, go to a park or a hotel. This is a train station, not a playground,” he said. “I don’t think these foreign workers would dare be so arrogant and violate the law in their own countries — they are doing so here because some groups are backing them.”
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS