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.”
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS