I agree with Vannyel. I think they should have caned him at the very least. 
I think it’s a little unfair to blame Scott here because he didn’t follow the rules. Of course, people should obey the law, but when the law is strange or unexpected, surely it is easy to see how someone would not realize what he was doing was illegal. After all, he was kicked out for volunteer activities, for trying to help others. Not many people would assume that volunteer activities would be illegal. Some laws are obvious - it is no defense to say you didn’t realize stealing was illegal in Taiwan, of course; but it is perfectly reasonable that someone would not know that volunteer activities would get you deported.
Does anyone read all the laws of every country they go to? Of course not. They rely on their common sense, and guess what is and is not permitted. In this case, the law is an ass.
Married foreigners on a JFRV ARC excepted, I presume?[/quote]
Ok, I’d like to know about this too.
Umm… side issue here, and I’m only posting here because I am having so much trouble posting anywhere else. Is Hartzells alientw.org site still operational because I can’t see it???
People would support action if it wouldn’t get reversed anyway. Taiwan politics is such an ass and run by … (fill in the blank). Look at the drivers licence issue, case after case won and the #@$@#$#@ won’t change anything at the DMV, you still have to sue. It is this sort of thing that makes most people walk away from the fight.
What’s centrally ironic about Scott’s case concerns his importance to the community in Dulan where he lives. Not only was he volunteering to do something important for that community, without him no such venue for original music existed otherwise in that place. The legal logic of kicking someone out of Taiwan for volunteer activities seems stupid enough. But directing malevolence at a foreigner whose actions empower the locals’ creativity seems beyond contempt. One can only imagine that agendas having nothing to do with Scott lie behind such actions. But Peter Chen and anybody who cares about the public relations repercussions of actions should understand that this sends a horrible message about Taiwan to the world. If Chen Xuei Bian wants to build Taiwan into a tourist mecca he’s not going to get much help from the bad publicity of scandalous and senseless labor laws.
I happen to know that Scott’s efforts in Dulan extend far beyond the sugar factory concert series (at which I have also performed). His presence in that small community will be greatly missed and a dark cloud will infect Taitung until more reasonable approaches to foreigners come into effect.
Wendao, you are probably right, that there is ‘‘another agenda’’ here, which has not become visible yet. [It has nothing to do with a musician giving a benefit concert outside his work permit parameters.] It has all to do with some agenda there in Taitung, who knows? We will find out later.
But nobody cares one bit about ‘‘public relations’’ or the message sending to the world outside because:
- the outside world will NEVER hear about this case
2 nobody outside Taiwan will ever HEAR about this case and “the terrible message it sends to the world…”
- What happens inside Taiwan is invisible to the rest of the world and nobody really cares, unfortunately.
Did he REALLY volunteer? From what I read, he was paid, but gave the money to fund the speakers and lights. Not quite the same as volunteering.
This thread has some interesting background info on the problems there:
bababa…“Some laws are obvious - it is no defense to say you didn’t realize stealing was illegal in Taiwan, of course; but it is perfectly reasonable that someone would not know that volunteer activities would get you deported.
Does anyone read all the laws of every country they go to? Of course not.”
This is true; however, in the U.S. at least, ignorance of the law is no excuse when you break ANY law. Just thought you might like to know this if you are not from the U.S. and ever plan on visiting 
wendao…as others have pointed out, what happens in Taiwan, short of murder, to foreigners is of little consequence to the world at large. The economy is not affected very much, I am guessing, by Western tourists and therefore I don’t think Taiwan is in any danger from a backlash if they ban all Westerners from the country. Naturally this does not excuse the behavior of the FAP in Taichung, but with foreigners being such a small disjointed community in Taiwan I hold a very pestimistic view on any major changes to policy being enacted. After all look at Hartzell and his ‘campaigns’ …yes somethings have improved but most likely they were a result of many things and not the dogged persistance of one man.
Wha? Where does Tai/chung come into this?
Sorry…Taidong not Taichung
An article concerning Officer Chen’s work last year in connection with the harassment of foreigners in Taidong.
taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 3427/print
[quote]…The woman was brought to the station after the three went to complain about police harassment, including illegal searches, officers obtaining keys to at least one man’s home and spreading rumors that the men were drug dealers.
There are about 80 foreigners in Taitung County, including about 20 English-language teachers. Within the last year, two teachers have been charged with various crimes and eventually prosecuted for forgery of documents – college diplomas – related to work visas.
One man – one of the three who complained of police harassment – says he’s frightened that he is the target of a setup, even though the clerk did not recognize him.
“I woke up this morning and suddenly I’m accused of armed robbery,” he told the Taipei Times yesterday. “It seems to me that I’m the prime suspect.”
The man, an English teacher, said the police grilled him about his whereabouts Monday evening.
The man said he had been surfing at Dongho. He said one officer repeatedly asked him, “What time did you leave Dongho? Your innocence depends on it.”
[/quote]
In Taiwan you are guilty until proven innocent. Not my words. I forget where I heard that though.
It seems like he’s being deported because he was making music.
How about foreigner bands in Taiwan. Can they legally play music at locations in Taiwan? What kind of music performance is illegal, and what’s legal?
I play music publically all the time in Hualien, including many gigs sponsored by the government for which I dutifully pay taxes.
I know for a fact that Scott received a very public blessing from the Taidung County Cultural Bureau and the Taitung mayor for what he was making happen at the sugar factory in Dulan. In fact our troupe of performers was going to perform at the Sugar Factory when it came to light that Scott was being investigated.
When Scott and I played together on a far earlier occasion (almost 2 years ago) in Taitung, our gig was stopped by one and the same Peter Chen. It has come to mind that Chen may have it in for Scott partially because the drummer in my band and I ended up in the back of the police car and not Scott (who made himself scarce before his ARC could be requested and surrended). Not being a man given to conspiracy theories it would be too much to assume for me that Peter has it in for Scott based on that snubbing of his authority. On the other hand, given the propensity for pettiness I have already witnessed there myself firsthand. . .
Vis-a-vis political activity making one rather. . .uh. . .subject to the deportation hit-list I can report that I have easily erred on the side of danger here in Hualien for my own activism. No problems to report here as of yet. . .though my friendship with Scott does make me wonder if there isn’t a checklist somewhere.
Sigh.
All for playing music? How absurd can it get?
[quote=“twocs”]It seems like he’s being deported because he was making music.
How about foreigner bands in Taiwan. Can they legally play music at locations in Taiwan? What kind of music performance is illegal, and what’s legal?[/quote]
I think techinically its illegal but the cops turn a blind eye if the venue pays them off. I wonder if the laoban of the Living Room can cast some light on the situation. I’d like to know – not for my JFRV-holding self (personally I’d really dig the opportunity to flash my ARC and the finger at the cops) but for others in the band that perhaps don’t.
I’ve been doing volunteer activities for a while - seeing as I could not get a work visa for gigolo services, I’ve just been giving away freebies! 
Tigerman, I think you could get into trouble with giving away so much free legal advice not to mention your free “beer tasting” work on behalf of the foreign community.
I’ve been a volunteer crossing guard at my daughter’s school for 4 years…Am I breaking the law? (I do have a JFRV)
I’ve never gotten anything other than thumbs-ups from the cops here…
Hah! They can try busting me for that…but I ain’t going down without a fight. I guarantee they haven’t seen what a huge, pissed off Mexican-American looks like. LOL. As moot as it would be in the end, anyway, since of course it wouldn’t change anything. But this is ridiculous. No volunteer activities. What a crock. :bluemad:
Scott’s music is phenomenal. If he goes, it is Taiwan’s loss. :raspberry:
I think the cops view that not so much as you doing volunteer work, but the girls doing penance. 
Serious questions here boys and girls.
- How does one know if the ‘volunteer work’ you’re involved in is illegal?
- Is this a Taidong thing? Afterall. the place isn’t the most progressive part of Taiwan?
- Has anyone ever been deported for this in Taipei or Kaohsiung? Stuff like this goes on ALL THE TIME here, and I’ve never heard of any problems.
- Richard states that there’s pretty much nothing that can be done about this law. While I believe his judgment to be impeccable, is there another interpretation of the situation?