Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) yesterday apologized for her comments on the planned recruitment of Indian migrant workers that have been labeled as “racist” by some Indian media outlets.
Taiwan and India on Feb. 16 signed a memorandum of understanding signaling a willingness to make India a source of migrant workers.
In an online interview about the plan with talk show host Wang Shih-chih (王時齊) on Monday, Hsu said the ministry would first recruit Indian workers from northeastern India because “their skin color and dietary habits are closer to ours.”
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
In addition, the Indians there are “mostly Christians” who are adept at manufacturing, construction and farming, Hsu said, explaining that the strategy was based on Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessments.
At the legislature yesterday morning, Hsu apologized for her “inaccurate” comments that caused “misunderstanding.”
The nation’s labor policies, whether directed at local or foreign workers, are crafted with equality in mind and are never discriminatory, she said.
She praised Indian workers’ abilities and performance in the interview because she hoped to highlight these attributes, she added.
Hsu’s comments drew criticism from Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) of the Democratic Progressive Party, who in a video posted on social media “strongly condemned” her comments, arguing that skin color and race should not be criteria for recruiting migrant workers.
In a statement issued late on Monday, the Ministry of Labor apologized for Hsu’s “inaccurate” choice of words, saying that the minister’s comments were not meant to be discriminatory.
Some Indian news outlets reported Hsu’s remarks after the ministry issued the apology, with at least one branding them as “racist.”
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also apologized for what it called “less than appropriate” narratives by government agencies regarding the planned recruitment of Indian workers that sparked criticism internationally and domestically.
The plan has been controversial since Bloomberg first reported in November last year that “Taiwan could hire as many as 100,000 Indians to work at factories, farms and hospitals.”
Hsu denied the report, calling stories related to it “fake news,” but she has not put a number on the potential number of migrant workers from India.
At the time, Hsu urged people not to discriminate against specific nations.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
Rallies supporting recall efforts targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place in Taipei today. Traffic controls were in place on Taipei City Hall Road starting from 10pm last night, and would be in place on Jinan Road Sec 1 from 8am today, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei City advocating the recall of KMT legislators, along with the “Safeguard Taiwan Anti-Communist Alliance” have announced plans for motorcycle parades and public rallies in both cities today. Permission has been granted for campaigners to hold
M1A2T ABRAMS TANKS: Thirty-eight of the 108 armored vehicles were delivered in December last year, with the rest to be delivered between later this year and next year The military is to live stream a round of live-fire training sessions on Thursday featuring its newly delivered M1A2T Abrams tanks, allowing the public to witness the training results firsthand, the Ministry of National Defense said. Based on the ministry’s plan, the live-fire training session, scheduled to take place at an army tank training ground in the Kengzihkou (坑子口) area of Hsinchu County, is to feature the US-made armored vehicles firing their 120mm smoothbore guns at moving and stationary targets, while stationary or in motion. At least one senior government official is expected to preside over the round of training sessions, per
RSS