Meeting with Premier Yu Shyi-kun: Volunteers Needed

Legal General Legal Matters
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I was talking to some Legislative staff people today. I suggested that the members of the foreign community who are happy with the new “Open Work Permit” regulations arrange for a time to personally visit Premier Yu Shyi-kun and thank him. After all, these are important steps in Taiwan’s movement toward liberalization and internationalization.

My own feeling is that I would like to get the Premier on board here, and open the channels of communication, so that (1) he is following what we are doing, (2) he will mention this to other people, and (3) he will be understanding and supportive when we move for further liberalization and internationalization in other areas.

The Legislative people I talked to suggested that we get 15 to 20 “representative foreigners”, and then they would try to set up a photo op with the Premier. So, I am asking for volunteers.

Ideally, the foreigners who accompany me will be people who are benefitting because of the new regulations. (You no doubt have seen the Employment Services Act, new Article 51 thread on this website. Also see my article in the CHINA POST “Prime Time” section, on Friday, April 12th.)

The point is to thank the Premier for his support. (After all, the Council of Labor Affairs is a part of the Executive Yuan.) Hence, I hope you will dress appropriately. We want to make a good impression! As I pointed out above, we have other liberalization measures we want to get pushed through in the future! We want the Premier to help us get the word out that Taiwan is moving forward, and becoming internationalized!

Qualifications: Ideal volunteers for this kind of photo op will be those foreigners who live in the greater Taipei area, and who have fairly flexible schedules. I assume that you are personally affected by the new ESA regulations, or have friends who are, or have some related interest.

Scheduling: I doubt that we will get much advance notice of when the meeting is. I suspect that when the date and time are finally set, we will have to move quickly. (My tentative plan is to meet at the entrance to the Lai Lai Hotel on Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec. 1, Taipei.)

If you will state your name, age, sex, nationality, city of residence in Taiwan, email address, and reason why you think you should be chosen to go, reason why you are “representative”, or whatever, etc. data in this thread, I will email you a form to fill out. Then you can FAX that to me and I will have your information on file.

I will want to get back to the Legislative Yuan next week with full data on 15 to 20 likely volunteer candidates.

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Hi Richard,
I never miss a photo op!!

Name: Terry Thatcher
Age: 37
Nationality: US
City of residence: Taipei
Sex: F
e-mail: terry@oriented.org

I’ve been working around Taiwan since more or less 1993 and I would like to be representative of those who are working here, consider Taiwan to be a “second home” (or first home!) but who are NOT married to Chinese or qualified to receive these benefits in any other way. (This is of course assuming that my open permit DOES come out, but I think it should.)

Terry

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Hi Richard

Happy to help

Married to Taiwan citizen - and greatly relieved by this new legislation.

Please send me the form to: gaoruien@yahoo.com

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quote:
Originally posted by Hartzell: Hence, I hope you will dress appropriately. We want to make a good impression!
Hey, I clean up real good... [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] Sure, Richard, count me in. Although I won't be eligible for another year or so, I am sure that sooner or later I will be applying for the open work permit. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

email: taipeicanadamao@yahoo.com

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Name: Chris Stiles
Age: 23
Nationality: US
City of residence: Taipei
Sex: M
e-mail: crbkstiles@hotmail.com

I’ve only lived in Taiwan for a little over 2 years. I volunteer because I’m probably the only representative here (on this website, that is) from the foreign spouse musicians community, and I’m ecstatic about finally seeing genuine work rights come to fruition. I’d like to return thanks any way I can. My schedule is quite flexible, though I’ll be in Singapore from April 25th-28th. Other than that, I’m basically wide open!

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I’d like to be included. You already know my personal info. And I know I’ve got something more formal than sneakers somewhere… Actually, just last week I was wandering around the Executive Yuan in my tennis shoes. But I wasn’t about to meet with the premier.

email: cranky@romanization.com

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Hi Richard:

Here’s my info:

Name: Wen Fung
Age: 27
Nationality: PTY
Residence: Taipei
Sex: M
email: wenf@tutopia.com

I think I’ll be the only representative of the Panamanian Community (which have very good diplomatic relantionship with Taiwan), I am also from the high-tech sector and off course it will be a pleasure for me to personally thanks the Premier for this wonderful law

Cheers,

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Richard

Count me in as well.

I have been living here for almost two years and plan to stay here indefinitely. The new rules should make life a lot easier.

Neill Mutimer
Age 39
Nationality UK
Email neill.mutimer@daimlerchrysler.com.tw

Will only be to glad to help

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Hi Richard,

Name: Jeremy Hopkins
Age: 29
Sex: M
Nationality: USA
Taiwan City: Taipei
E-mail: jeremy@oriented.org

I’ve lived in Taipei a little over five years. I’m an IT professional in Taiwan with my roots from the Silicon Valley. I’m currently in the process of applying for a work permit based on ESA article 51.01.03. It would be a pleasure to support and encourage those with influence in Taiwan’s continuing drive towards internationalization.

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I’d be happy to show up, Richard. I’m a media hack of sorts, have been living here for 13 years, am married to a local woman and would have applied for permanent residency ages ago if I wasn’t so damn lazy.

I also dress sharp and have a winning (or is that winsome?) smile.

email address: weeeck25@hotmail.com

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edit

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I volunteer.

Patrick McGrath
Chung Ho City
www.visioneering.com.tw
email: biz@visioneering.com.tw

I’ve benefited greatly from your hard work and the recent liberalizations of Taiwan’s labor laws for foreigners. I believe Taiwan has benefited as well from allowing me to live and work here. I just received my first Taiwan patent in January for an autofocus lens invention. Our business has brought millions of dollars into Taiwan’s economy in the form of orders for injection molds and molded parts. I’ve also just invented a window blinds product for a Taiwan company that we’re patenting in the U.S. and Europe and which U.S. and European companies are lining up to order. We expect to be in production by July. In short, I consider myself a poster child for Taiwan’s decision to open its economy to creative foreign professionals with an appreciation for the unique opportunities Taiwan has but doesn’t fully realize.

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Dear Richard,

This is great! Count me in and I believe that there are not many Australian Chinese live in Taipei, Taiwan. I don’t think there are many Australian here, either. So I would very much like to go and meet our Premier.

Name: Jerry Z. Zhang
Sex: Male
Nationality: Australian
Age: 39
Email: jzz36@so-net.net.tw

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Yeah, count me in. Since I am a foreign worker, I will dress suitably in oily overalls and a hard hat. The betel nut and Wisby are on me. Hokki la!

Name: Julian Clegg
Nationality: European Union - British
Sex: Male age: 42
E-mail address: julianclegg at netscape dot net (Richard: I don’t want my e-mail address displayed here for spam bots to pick up. I already get dozens of spam messages a day on my HiNet account. I don’t want my Netscape box to fill up with spam as well!)
What makes me representative: Probably not representative at all, but here I am anyway.

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snip

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Only one Female? C’mon women–don’t let the guys hog all the attention–we need more representation at this important event! It’ll be over by the time I get there…

email: tai_tappen@hotmail.com

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Oh, all right. Peer pressure. Actually though, I would like the opportunity to express my thanks for seeing some progress in the right direction.

Name: Linda Hirschfeld
Age: ah, 31
Nationality: US
City of residence: Taipei
Sex: F
E-mail: LindaH@mohaveaz.com

Currently beginning my eighth year in Taiwan, I’m half-Taiwanese (my Mother’s side) but due to being born before a certain cut-off date and having a foreign father, I am unable to qualify for the citizenship that should be my natural birth right.

Frustration aside, I’ve been living in Taiwan and have about a year or so to go before being able to apply for Permanent Resident status based on 7 years of continuous employment. I’m in the process of applying for the Open Work Permit and would like to help support any effort towards foreigner’s rights in Taiwan.

===
edited E-mail addy

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Name: David Schnell
Age: 31
Nationality: US
City of residence: Taipei
Sex: M
e-mail: schnell@etaiwannews.com

Experience: Being engaged, but never legally allowed to marry in this country, I believe I would benefit from this new law. I have been in Taiwan for 4 years and 14 days and have been working at Taiwan News for 2 years as a copy editor.

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Though my chosen occupation is a little unusual compared to many foreign nationals.I feel my situation represents the diversity of employment the open work permits were intended to address.
The government should be commended for finally recognizing the plight of long-term residents and foreign spouses and accepting input from us before passing legislation.

I promise not to wear my rubber boots and bamboo hat!

Sincerely

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Hi Richard,

Happy to help if I am free on the chosen date.

French citizen, married to a Taiwan citizen - I hope this will make life easier for all (married or not) to work here.

Please send me the form to: george67tw@yahoo.com