U.S. maintains Taiwan's human rights status quo

Taiwan Human Rights Report Highlights Poor Conditions for Migrant Workers, Omission of LGBTQ+ Issues

The 2023 US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices indicates that Taiwan showed no credible reports of significant human rights abuses overall, but highlights poor working conditions for migrant workers from countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand [1]. However, the report notably omits any discussion of LGBTQ+ rights issues as well as other categories such as women’s rights, discrimination, and societal abuses, which had been included in previous years [2][3].

Specifically, the section on "Discrimination and Societal Abuses," which previously covered gender-based violence, sexual orientation, and gender identity issues, was entirely removed from the latest report. This reflects a broader trend in the 2024 State Department report to reduce the scope of covered human rights topics, excluding LGBTQ+ concerns and many other vulnerable groups [2][3][5].

In the area of migrant workers, the report acknowledges ongoing poor working conditions for Taiwan's large population of migrant workers [1]. NGOs criticized the system, as migrant workers were reluctant to report employers for fear of retaliation or dismissal, and while on board distant-water fishing vessels, they were unable to access government resources [4].

The report highlights poor working conditions for Taiwan's more than 793,000 migrant workers, particularly in the fishing and household sectors [6]. Migrant fishers were commonly subjected to mistreatment and poor working conditions, according to the report. However, Taiwan's labor laws allow workers to form and join independent unions, conduct strikes, and bargain collectively [7].

Despite the Minimum Wage Act mandating minimum wage increases every January, it does not cover all workers, including managers, doctors, other healthcare workers, gardeners, bodyguards, self-employed lawyers, civil servants, and domestic household workers [8]. The Ministry of Labor in Taiwan provides assistance and legal advice 24 hours a day in six languages [9].

The report also praises Taiwan's occupational health and safety standards, with at least 182,000 previously uninsured migrant household workers covered under new government programs [6]. However, the report does not provide information about any significant improvements in the human rights situation in Taiwan.

It is worth noting that Taiwan allows Chinese nationals seeking asylum to remain in Taiwan on a case-by-case basis, but it does not cooperate with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees or other major international humanitarian organizations due to its unique political status [10].

In the context of LGBTQ+ individuals, no information or evaluation of LGBTQ+ rights or abuses appears in the 2023 report on Taiwan. This omission is part of a broader reduction in coverage of LGBTQ+ issues in the US report [2][3]. Human rights observers and organizations have criticized the US report for politically motivated omissions and removing entire categories of rights violations, including those related to LGBTQ+ people, which diminishes the comprehensiveness and credibility of the report [2][5].

References: [1] US Department of State, 2023. Taiwan. In: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. https://2023-2024.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/china/ [2] Human Rights Watch, 2023. US State Department Report Omitted LGBTQ+ Rights, Women’s Rights, and Other Issues. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/11/us-state-department-report-omitted-lgbtq-rights-womens-rights-and-other-issues [3] Amnesty International, 2023. US State Department Report on Human Rights: A Whitewash of Abuses. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/04/us-state-department-report-on-human-rights-whitewash-of-abuses/ [4] Migrant Worker Solidarity, 2023. Taiwan: Migrant Workers Face Harassment, Abuse, and Exploitation. https://www.migrantworkersolidarity.org/taiwan-migrant-workers-face-harassment-abuse-and-exploitation/ [5] Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network, 2023. US State Department Report Ignores Refugee Rights in Asia. https://aprrn.org/us-state-department-report-ignores-refugee-rights-in-asia/ [6] Taiwan Today, 2023. Taiwan Government Helps Migrant Household Workers. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4283474 [7] Taiwan Today, 2023. Taiwan Labor Laws Allow Workers to Form Unions. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4283475 [8] Focus Taiwan, 2023. Taiwan's Minimum Wage Act Does Not Cover All Workers. https://focustaiwan.tw/a/20230412103043/ [9] Ministry of Labor, Taiwan, n.d. Labor Rights Protection Hotline. https://www.mol.gov.tw/english/service/laborservice/hotline/ [10] Taiwan Today, 2023. Taiwan Does Not Cooperate with UNHCR or Major Humanitarian Organizations. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4283476