November 2020

Taiwan’s 2030 Bilingual Nation Policy Is Well Intended, but Reflects Cultural Colonialism

On November 23rd, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan held the inaugural consultation meeting for the “2030 Bilingual Nation” policy, initiating what has been part of the DPP’s stated policy platform since Lai’s premiership in 2018. This process has reignited discussion over the role of English in Taiwanese society, and whether Taiwan should become a “bilingual” country...

A Failure to Address Structural Issues with Death Sentence After Single Mother’s Attempted Murder-Suicide

An attempted murder-suicide case that took place in New Taipei earlier this year has resulted in a death sentence for a thirty-year-old woman who killed her six-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter before attempting to kill herself. The verdict, which can still be appealed, was made by the New Taipei District Court...

Judicial Yuan Completes Draft Bill Lifting Restrictions on Transnational Gay Marriages

The Judicial Yuan has announced that it has completed a draft bill that would lift some of the currently existing limits on transnational same-sex marriages in Taiwan. The draft bill will next be reviewed by other government bureaus, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, and the Mainland Affairs Council...

Annual Labor Demonstration Protests American Pork, with Controversy Regarding KMT Co-Optation Claims

The annual Autumn Struggle labor demonstration was held yesterday in Taipei. Autumn Struggle is traditionally one of the major labor demonstrations in Taiwan, along with International Workers’ Day on May 1st. Despite the name, it is not unusual for Autumn Struggle to take place during what is actually winter. However, this year’s demonstration saw significant controversy due to the perceived co-optation of the event by the KMT...