Four Decades of Strife and Resistance: A Deep Dive Into What’s Happening in West Papua

Girard Mariano Lopez

Interview: Kawtorpai Church

Patrick Huang

Electricity Price Hikes Likely to Lead to Political Contestation

Brian Hioe

Civil Society Groups Mark Anniversary of Fukushima Disaster Earlier This Month

Brian Hioe

Freeway and High-Speed Rail Proposal by the KMT Stokes Controversy

Brian Hioe

Die-in Held in Liberty Plaza in Taipei for Palestine and Gaza

Brian Hioe

Social Movements

One Thousand March in Taipei Calling For End To Broker System

Girard Mariano Lopez
During International Human Rights Day on December 10th, an estimated one thousand migrant workers from Southeast Asia together with Taiwanese labor and human rights activists marched on the streets of Taipei for the second biannual migrant worker rally with the theme “No Justice in Cross-Border Employment, Where is the Responsibility of the Government?”. The protest was to call for the abolishment of the private broker system and direct government to government hiring between Taiwan and the nation of origin, as well as strengthened public services for migrant workers especially for those that face abuse from employers...
December 2023EnglishLaborSocial Movements7 min read

Wave of Racism Sweeps Taiwanese Social Media Over Plans to Allow for Indian Migrant Workers

Brian Hioe
Taiwanese social media has seen a wave of posts reacting to the possibility of opening up Taiwan to Indian workers. In particular, the posts are xenophobic in nature, framing Indians as rapists who would sexually assault Taiwanese women if they are allowed into Taiwan. This has led to online calls for a march against the planned opening up...
EnglishLaborNovember 2023RaceSocial Movements5 min read

Unions Demand Reform of Pension System

Brian Hioe
Union groups demonstrated in front of the Executive Yuan earlier this week over pensions, calling for an increase in the minimum contribution to pensions from employers. The groups included the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, the Taiwan Federation of Financial Unions, the Taipei City Confederation of Trade Unions, the Kaohsiung City Confederation of Trade Unions, the Taipower Union, the Taiwan High-Speed Rail Union, and the Taiwan Water Industry Union. This represents among Taiwan’s largest trade confederations, as well as a number of workers from state-owned enterprises...
EnglishLaborNovember 2023Social Movements4 min read

Unpaid Fees to Female Soccer Players Reflects Longstanding Issues Regarding Sports in Taiwan

Brian Hioe
Taiwanese female professional soccer players have been left in a lurch after the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) abruptly announced that training plans for the athletes would come to an end on November 3rd. Training had been ongoing since 2021, but players were informed that the training plan had come to an end suddenly on November 9th...
EnglishLaborNovember 2023Social Movements5 min read

4,000 Demonstrate in Late October Against Issue of Strays Killing Wild Animals

Brian Hioe
Around 4,000 demonstrated on October 29th against the prevalence of strays killing wild animals in Taiwan. The protest materialized out of online calls for action to be taken on the issue, rallying a number of students from colleges including National Chiayi University, National Taiwan University, National Taiwan Normal University, and National Tsing Hua University. These calls began through Facebook and other social media platforms in September, with students aligning with environmental and animal protection groups...
EnglishEnvironmentalNovember 2023Social Movements5 min read