Just wondering. Several of the newspapers reported on this today, more out of interest in “freedom of the press” than anything else, but something caught my eye. Several times they mentioned that the new constitution would guarantee human rights for “all ROC citizens.” Now, human rights by definition ought to apply to all humans, right? Otherwise we’d be talking about “citizen’s rights.”
This is important in case foreigners want to have free speech or something.
Indeed, and as we all know the definition of a human is… an ROC citizen 
RE: Human Rights for all persons? Or just for ROC citizens?
Yes . . . . . you have hit upon a key point, and something that I have been arguing in the courts here for many years. However, there seems to be little recognition at the moment that non ROC citizens are “people”.
Perhaps someone could write a petitioning campaign to the Presidential Office.
In my opinion respect for minorities, fairness, and equality may be a bit of a stretch for Taiwan. The only thing that might change with a new constitution is the name and borders of the Republic of China.
We are not even allowed to petition the government for the protection of our own human rights. Is anybody here willing to fork over millions of dollars to encourage elected officials to recognize all residents as equals. I don’t have it and even if I did it would be illegal for me to participate in “political activities”. We could try contacting Taiwan’s well paid lobbyist in Washington DC. and ask them to do some pro bono work.
Anyone know who they are?
Why not write some articles for the local English press? Or better yet . . . . . . for the local Chinese press?
Whenever I hear that human rights are not extended to non-Taiwanese people living in Taiwan, I wonder in which way is this happening? I have been in Taiwan for a few years now and I have not in any way felt as if I was being treated in an unfair way by the government. Can someone please explain how we foreigners have lost our human rights in Taiwan?
Try doing some volunteer work in Taizhong, all will be come clear shortly as they deport you.
Buying property, opening your own business, getting credit, legal custody of your children, public protest, rights to residency and citizenship, judicial appeal, privacy…
I have citizenship… I have rights… to petition and protest on your behalf…
[quote]I have citizenship… I have rights… to petition and protest on your behalf…
[/quote]
Would you be willing to initiate a petition or protest on our behalf?
I do volunteer work in TAICHUNG all the time. No one has ever come and tried to deport me!
[quote]I do volunteer work in Taichung (Taizhong) all the time. No one has ever come and tried to deport me!
[/quote]
That because the police in Taichung have bigger fish to fry.
In 1982 my entire family was deported from Taichung over a business dispute. My younger brother was seven at the time.
Hartzell, I am willing to write stuff. But do you think the papers would print it? They ARE run by Chinese / Taiwanese, you know… Serious question–I honestly don’t know what their editorial policy is like.
While everybody’s been nice to me so far, as I contemplate staying longer and longer, the gaps in the “rights” department loom more and more important.
As many people have noted, the fact that any cop can deport me at any time, without involving any judge or jury except himself, is a fundamental flaw. It’s a bit like the U.S. right now–I don’t personally expect to run afoul of Rumsfeld or Chen what’s-his-name (that cop who likes to expel foreigners), but then, neither did many of their victims.
Did you know that Filipina maids get deported if they get pregnant? Is that bizarre or what?
Moving beyond human rights per se, if I had spent all this time in Australia, I could have become an Aussie citizen by now. In Taiwan it seems that this is all but impossible–and even a residence card is no permanent guarantee of right of residence. All this serves to make my life feel a bit less stable than it otherwise would. Considering how well my country treats Taiwanese immigrants, or how well Western immigrants have worked out for Singapore, you’d think they’d be more flexible about things like this. But nooooo!
Did you know that non-ROC citizens can never chair an academic department here, or be a dean? God knows why–national security I guess. Anyway, that would be soooo illegal in the U.S. it’s not even funny.
If we are going to make a difference for the betterment of our rights and those of our children in the future, then we must act and act now. The xenophobic attitude of the current administration could be the single most undermining factor for Taiwan’s future prosperity and our own. More people are going to have to come off the side lines for our voices to be heard .
I suggest that you write some stuff first and then try to submit it to various newspapers. For the reader opinion pages, 600 characters is usually a suitable length.
As for “writing strategy”, you need to skim the Chinese papers every day and try to link the main point of your article to some element in the news . . . . . . . that is one trick that often works . . . . . .
[quote=“Screaming Jesus”]
Did you know that non-ROC citizens can never chair an academic department here, or be a dean? God knows why–national security I guess. Anyway, that would be soooo illegal in the U.S. it’s not even funny.[/quote]
I don’t think this is correct. Isn’t there an American priest who teaches at a university in Taichung and who also writes aritcles for the China Post? I believe that this man is the chair of the English department where he teaches.
Blueface seems to be preoccupied, so I’ll write it for him:
You foreigners just don’t understand Chinese/Taiwanese culture.
[quote=“cableguy”][quote=“Screaming Jesus”]
Did you know that non-ROC citizens can never chair an academic department here, or be a dean? God knows why–national security I guess. Anyway, that would be soooo illegal in the U.S. it’s not even funny.[/quote]
I don’t think this is correct. Isn’t there an American priest who teaches at a university in Taichung (Taizhong) and who also writes aritcles for the China Post? I believe that this man is the chair of the English department where he teaches.[/quote]
Perhaps that isn’t a national university? I guess Donghai and Providence don’t get to handle state secrets. 
Feiren is the only foreign civil servent I know of in the employ of the Republic of China. How many Taiwanese work in the US civil service? There are hundreds in the US military alone.
Huh? I’m less than civil.