Linda given the boot

Politics Taiwan Politics
1

I don’t care for her anti-Bush or “peace march” politics too much, but surely the current DPP administration could help her out a little here…seems a little ungrateful considering her advocacy for human rights in the past.

For the Taiwan News, this editorial is not too bad:

[i]The possibility that former “Formosa” democratic movement and human rights activist Linda Gail Arrigo may have to leave Taiwan later this month because of an inability to maintain legal residency should remind the Democratic Progressive Party government of a major unfinished item of on the agenda of “transitional justice” in Taiwan.

Several of these past activists remain in Taiwan and, in various ways, continue to make exceptional, if unsung, contributions to our society. Most of them have experienced recurrent difficulties in maintaining residence and employment, in part because the sacrifices of their past commitment included complete educations or stable employment records.

Some have been advised by friends and past comrades to apply for “alien permanent residence certificates,” but obtaining permanent residence in their adopted home is far easier said than done.

Besides the reasonable requirement that an applicant must be resident in Taiwan for five of seven consecutive years and not have been convicted of any major crime that would carry a prison sentence, the conditions for an APRC include vetting by the police of tax and financial records, proof that an applicant’s accumulated real estate and liquid assets are valued at over NT$5 million and a “good citizen” certificate from their home country.

Given the notorious difficulty in applying for APRCs, the requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility can only be described as cynical.

A contrasting and far more user-friendly example can be provided by Hong Kong.

Foreigners who reside in Hong Kong for seven consecutive years are given permanent residence and the right of abode virtually automatically if they declare and can demonstrate that Hong Kong is their permanent residence. There are no listed requirements that applications must produce police records from their original country or demonstrate a fat bank account.

Another case with special relevance to the case of foreign activists in Taiwan’s human rights and democratic movement is Spain.

In January 1996, the Spanish Socialist Party-led government granted honorary citizenship to the remaining veterans of the International Brigades who had fought for the Loyalist side against the fascist government for the second Spanish Republic in the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War.

Naturally, there is a strong element of subjectivity in defining what kind of “contribution” should be seen as justifying the special granting of permanent residence or citizenship.[/i]

etaiwannews.com/Editorial/20 … 235802.htm

2

[quote]Besides the reasonable requirement that an applicant must be resident in Taiwan for five of seven consecutive years and not have been convicted of any major crime that would carry a prison sentence, the conditions for an APRC include vetting by the police of tax and financial records, proof that an applicant’s accumulated real estate and liquid assets are valued at over NT$5 million and a “good citizen” certificate from their home country.

Given the notorious difficulty in applying for APRCs, the requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility can only be described as cynical. [/quote]
Bunch of ignorant un fact-checked bullshit.

3

As I understand it, she has explicitly avoided pulling in any favours from the DPP because she wants to highlight the difficulty of gaining permanent residence in Taiwan for foreigners. If someone like her (a longtime resident who has contributed plenty to Taiwan) can get kicked out of the country, then perhaps the government should review its policies on residence.

Anyway, she hasn’t yet been booted out … given that the media now knows about it, I’m guessing that some official will soon be wheeled out to say that it was just some adminstrational problems that delayed her ARC renewal, and there was never any chance of her being refused.

Incidentally, she also claimed that the AIT put pressure on Taiwan to kick her out due to her anti-war stance (which i find a bit far-fetched …)

4

She seems like a typical granola-crunching tofu-eating shit disturber, but given her past marriage to an ex-DPP bigwig, given her activism during martial law times, and her longstanding ties to Taiwan, I was suprised that her old friends didn’t come to her side.

5

She’s actually a very nice and helpful person - she helped us a lot.

I hate seeing people slagging off people they’ve never even met. It says more about the writer than the subject, I find.

6

[quote=“Chewycorns”]

She seems like a typical granola-crunching tofu-eating shit disturber[/quote]

After having read some of her writings on human rights, and being peripherally aware of her activities in Taiwan, she seems to me like someone who genuinely cares for the place and works for change.

Ditto on what Stray Dog wrote.

I wish her well. Any way others can help her out?

7

What is Shi Mingde’s relationship to the DPP these days? Has he been ostracised or has he jsut gone his own way?

8

Chewycorns,

Linda’s a close personal friend and you’ll be happy to know she eats a lot of red meat. I doubt she’s a Republican, however, which will probably keep her off your Xmas list. Many thanks for bringing the original story to my attention.

gcat.

9

[quote=“sandman”][quote]Besides the reasonable requirement that an applicant must be resident in Taiwan for five of seven consecutive years and not have been convicted of any major crime that would carry a prison sentence, the conditions for an APRC include vetting by the police of tax and financial records, proof that an applicant’s accumulated real estate and liquid assets are valued at over NT$5 million and a “good citizen” certificate from their home country.
Given the notorious difficulty in applying for APRCs, the requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility can only be described as cynical. [/quote]
Bunch of ignorant un fact-checked bullshit.[/quote]Rules are rules. Even though they sometimes suck.
Sandman -
What errors do you see here?

10

I’ll take backseat moderating for 500, Alex.

11

[quote=“TainanCowboy”][quote=“sandman”][quote]Besides the reasonable requirement that an applicant must be resident in Taiwan for five of seven consecutive years and not have been convicted of any major crime that would carry a prison sentence, the conditions for an APRC include vetting by the police of tax and financial records, proof that an applicant’s accumulated real estate and liquid assets are valued at over NT$5 million and a “good citizen” certificate from their home country.
Given the notorious difficulty in applying for APRCs, the requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility can only be described as cynical. [/quote]
Bunch of ignorant un fact-checked bullshit.[/quote]Rules are rules. Even though they sometimes suck.
Sandman -
What errors do you see here?[/quote]
Accumulated real estate and assets valued at over NT$5 million. Bullshit.
The requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility. Also bullshit.

12

[quote=“sandman”]
What errors do you see here?[/quote]
Accumulated real estate and assets valued at over NT$5 million. Bullshit.
The requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility. Also bullshit.[/quote]

Okay, if it’s BS, then enlighten us. Some of us aren’t going to read thru the endless posts on getting permanent residence in the Visa forum. Since you have first hand exprience, then educate us, rather than get all :fume:

*Kiss

13

[quote=“Namahottie”]Okay, if it’s BS, then enlighten us. Some of us aren’t going to read through the endless posts on getting permanent residence in the Visa forum. Since you have first hand exprience, then educate us, rather than get all :fume:

*Kiss[/quote]

From my limited understanding of this area, I think you just have to prove that you meet the monthly financial requirement (over 30,000NT or something.

14

[quote=“Namahottie”][quote=“sandman”]
What errors do you see here?[/quote]
Accumulated real estate and assets valued at over NT$5 million. Bullshit.
The requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility. Also bullshit.[/quote]

Okay, if it’s BS, then enlighten us. Some of us aren’t going to read through the endless posts on getting permanent residence in the Visa forum. Since you have first hand exprience, then educate us, rather than get all :fume:

*Kiss[/quote]
No, because then I’ll know something that YOU don’t know. Neener! Neener! Neener! And I’ll never tell.

Oh all right. You need assets OR a steady source of income, i.e. a job.
Your two-year eligibility window begins AFTER you cease to be able to stay in Taiwan on your original visa, i.e., if you get divorced, or your spouse dies, or you leave Taiwan and therefore lose your visa, you STILL have a two-year period in which to apply for PARC. This is a HUGE difference to what it says in the non-news article above.

If you need more, you really will have to search for the thread, as this is veering off-topic.

15

[quote=“Chewycorns”][quote=“Namahottie”][quote=“sandman”]
What errors do you see here?[/quote]
Accumulated real estate and assets valued at over NT$5 million. Bullshit.
The requirement that foreign residents must apply for permanent residence within two years after eligibility. Also bullshit.[/quote]

Okay, if it’s BS, then enlighten us. Some of us aren’t going to read through the endless posts on getting permanent residence in the Visa forum. Since you have first hand exprience, then educate us, rather than get all :fume:

*Kiss[/quote]

From my limited understanding of this area, I think you just have to prove that you meet the monthly financial requirement (over 30,000NT or something.[/quote]

Well that sounds easy. So what’s the real problem? From what I read in the TT, just seems like they are ‘following’ the law :unamused: when it comes to Ms. Linda.

16

Here’s what the Web site of the National Police Agency says:
[ul][li]Notices:
[list][]Application for permanent residency must be submitted within 2 years after the applicant has legally resided in the territory of the ROC for 5 or 7 consecutive years.[/li]
[li]The Certificate of Entry and Exit verifying dates of continuous legal residence, which can be obtained from the Immigration Office of the National Police Agency under the Ministry of the Interior.[/li]
[li]Evidence of financial assets, skills, or special talents.
[list][]The applicants’ average monthly income for the past year must be twice that of the minimum wage set by the Council of Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan.[/li]
[li]The applicant’s accumulated savings in an ROC financial institution must be 24 times that of the monthly minimum wage set by the Council of Labor Affairs, Executive Yuan (only pertinent to applicants who are spouses of ROC nationals).[/li]
[li]The applicant’s accumulated real estate and liquid assets must be valued at over NT$5 million.[/li]
[li]Other criteria recognized by the Immigration Bureau.[/li][/ul][/:m][/list:u][/:m][/list:u]
Of course, that’s not to say the Web site is necessarily correct. If I had NT$1 for every mistake on a Taiwan government Web site, I’d be rich, rich, rich.

But whatever the rules, if Linda Gail Arrigo, who has done so much for Taiwan, is forced to leave, it will be an injustice.

17

[quote=“cranky laowai”]
[b]The applicant

18

[quote=“cranky laowai”]Here’s what the Web site of the National Police Agency says:
[list][li]Notices:
[list][]Application for permanent residency must be submitted within 2 years after the applicant has legally resided in the territory of the ROC for 5 or 7 consecutive years.[/li]
[li]The Certificate of Entry and Exit verifying dates of continuous legal residence, which can be obtained from the Immigration Office of the National Police Agency under the Ministry of the Interior.[/li]
[]Evidence of financial assets, skills, or special talents.
[list]The applicants

19

And according to that website, it means anyone married for 7 years or living here continuously for 9 years MUST have applied for APRC or be forever ineligible.

20

Not only has she been granted a work permit, but handsome Ma Yingjiu is going to help her become a citizen.