Taiwanese in Cambodia have reported being tricked into signing illegal work contracts, having their documents taken and even being sold among companies and beaten, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
Since February, the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam has reported receiving about 40 complaints regarding Taiwanese who were allegedly tricked into working illegally in Cambodia, the ministry said in a statement.
The Taiwanese were tricked into work that was either illegal or did not meet their expectations, it said.
In some incidents, the people had their passport taken and movement restricted, the ministry said, adding that some reported they were beaten when they resisted.
In other cases, the workers were “sold” to other unregistered companies, it said.
The reports indicate that unregistered organizations in Taiwan are working with Cambodians to attract young Taiwanese to work in Cambodia via ads on social media platforms, often offering incentives such as high wages, no overtime, no prerequisite for English language ability and that the company would pay for flights, the ministry said.
Some of the people signed a contract before leaving Taiwan and upon arrival in Cambodia had their passports confiscated and their movement restricted, it said.
The illegal nature of the work prevented them from going to local authorities, it said.
If the people quit working, the employer would accuse them of breach of contract and demand they pay for flights and accommodation, with demands ranging from US$10,000 to US$100,000, the ministry added.
The ministry provides emergency aid as soon as it receives a report, it said, adding that it is compiling information for Taiwanese authorities to review, as there has been an increase in such cases.
Some of the travelers have returned to Taiwan with assistance from the office in Ho Chi Minh City, the ministry said, adding that the experience was traumatizing for those affected.
People who want to apply for a job overseas should look into the background of companies, the nature of the work and company contract policies, the ministry said.
Incidents of employment scams in Cambodia are not isolated, as they have been reported in the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos, it said.
Taiwanese who need assistance when traveling in Cambodia should seek help from the Vietnam office, it said.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “[we] appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, was arrested in Boston last month amid US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said yesterday. The arrest of Liou was first made public on the official Web site of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday. ICE said Liou was apprehended for overstaying her visa. The Boston Field Office’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) had arrested Liou, a “fugitive, criminal alien wanted for embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes in Taiwan,” ICE said. Liou was taken into custody