English

Green Terror Accusations Nothing More Than Outright Denial Of White Terror

Brian Hioe
Accusations by the KMT that the DPP is instituting a “Green Terror” of political persecution against the pan-Blue camp that is equal to or worse than the White Terror perpetrated by the KMT during the authoritarian period are groundless and ridiculous. Such accusations are ultimately a form of historical denial, but they may gain traction due to historical amnesia in "post-fact" times...
December 2017EnglishPolitics7 min read

Outrage From Activists Over Police Actions During Labor Demonstration

Brian Hioe
Outrage continues from Taiwanese activists regarding the actions taken by police against demonstrations against the Tsai administration’s planned labor laws on December 23rd. Outrage has centered around the kettling of activists without any legal justification provided by police for detaining the freedom of movement of citizens, an incident in which the clothes of a woman being dragged onto a police bus were torn off and her hands were bound with a belt, and the arrest of lawyers...
#20December 2017EnglishLaborSocial Movements9 min read

Protests Against Labor Law Changes See Clashes Not Seen Since Sunflower Movement

Brian Hioe
The protests against planned labor law changes by the Tsai administration that took place yesterday may end up being remembered as historic for Taiwanese labor, in marking the start of what will be remembered as a new era of labor militancy. There probably has not been any protest as dramatic or intense since the Sunflower Movement, even if protests ended with a number of arrests....
#20December 2017EnglishLaborSocial Movements16 min read

10,000 Occupy Major Taipei Intersection To Demonstrate Planned Labor Law Changes

Brian Hioe
Demonstration against the Tsai administration’s planned changes to the Labor Standards Act began today have been intense Protests began at noon outside DPP headquarters. After three hours of speeches, at which point demonstrators swelled to over 10,000, the demonstration marched towards the Legislative Yuan along Zhongxiao West Road. After being blocked by police from proceeding further, demonstrators instead occupied the intersection of Zhongxiao West Road and Zhongshan North and South Roads, where they remain...
#20December 2017EnglishLaborSocial Movements7 min read

Charges Facing Ma Ying-Jeou Complicated By New Party Scandal

Brian Hioe
Former president Ma Ying-Jeou of the KMT, who saw the eruption of the Sunflower Movement against his policies aimed at directing the unification of Taiwan and China under his term, continues to come under fire for actions that took place during his presidency. In particular, Ma is currently facing lawsuits regarding the underselling of former state-owned enterprises and former KMT party assets. But this has been complicated by the recent scandal regarding the detention of high-profile New Party members...
December 2017EnglishSocial MovementsYouth Movements8 min read

Conservative Forces On The Move Behind Huang Kuo-Chang’s Recall Vote?

Brian Hioe
While LGBTQ organizations in Taiwan such as the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline have publicly stated that the recall vote recently faced by NPP chair Huang Kuo-Chang should be a wake-up call for LGBTQ groups in Taiwan, as a reminder of the fact that they remain opposed by a number of socially conservative forces, this also raises a question worth considering. Was it, in fact, anti-gay marriage groups which were the primary force behind the recall vote against Huang? Ultimately, even if the recall vote did not succeed, what one finds in examining the social forces behind the recall vote is that the NPP may have been outgunned from the beginning by conservative social forces...
December 2017EnglishPolitics9 min read

Despite Official Celebrations, Path For Migrant Workers’ Rights Remains Long In Taiwan

Brian Hioe
Despite official commemorations by the Taiwanese government yesterday stressing the role migrant workers play in Taiwanese society at the 228 Memorial Park to commemorate International Migrants’ Day, which is today on December 18th, rights for migrant workers has a long way to go in Taiwan. This what bears keeping in mind today on International Migrants’ Day...
#20December 2017EnglishLaborSocial Movements7 min read

Thousands Demonstrate In Taichung Against Air Pollution

Brian Hioe
Several thousand demonstrated in Taichung against growing problems of air pollution in Taiwan today. According to varying estimates, between 5,000 to 9,000 were in attendance, but despite the size of the protest, the demonstration was less reported on by media due to taking place outside of Taipei. This is ironic, given that the focus of the demonstration was in many ways on problems of pollution as facing urban areas outside of Taipei, and on redistributing political power in a more even manner across Taiwan...
December 2017EnglishEnvironmentalSocial Movements8 min read