Legislators across party lines yesterday signed a joint declaration calling on the government to do more to set Taiwan free from child abuse, including amending regulations in all departments dealing with the issue.
The declaration comes ahead of International Children’s Rights Day today and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Social and Family Affairs Administration being due to deliver its second report on Taiwan’s efforts to observe the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Every child has rights, and Taiwan should strive to prevent harm to or expropriation of children, New Power Party Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) said.
Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
Taiwan’s child abuse rate has been rising in the past couple of years, she said, citing incidents of infants being mistreated at nursery centers, babysitters’ houses or in their own homes.
So far, Taiwan seems unable to implement the spirit of the convention, she said.
Government agencies should amend all regulations regarding the treatment of minors, she said, urging all those involved to strive for a better Taiwan for children.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lo Mei-ling (羅美玲) said that the Internet makes minors more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse.
Of the 902 incidents of sexual exploitation of minors in the first half of this year, about 80 percent involved child pornography, she said.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) said he would work with other lawmakers to push for a legislative amendment that clarifies the definition of child abuse.
Humanistic Education Foundation executive director Joanna Feng (馮喬蘭) said that the public’s understanding of children’s rights is vague.
Many offenders justify their deeds by saying that they did so because they love or wish to protect the victim, or that the abuse was an educational measure, Feng said.
We should provide children with resources and education, but it should not become an excuse to abuse their rights, she said.
Children Welfare League Foundation member Chu Shih-yu (朱詩瑀) said the group has always promoted “zero violence” and hoped the government would adopt the same spirit to amend laws regarding child abuse.
The foundation is working with other children welfare groups to suggest amendments pertinent to childcare and children’s and parental rights, as well as contain whistle-blower clauses, Chu said, adding that she hopes that the legislature would support the initiative.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
RSS