human rights

Quarantined residents treated like prison inmates: food delivered searched for drugs and contraband

food opened, crushed, and dug through in search for contraband
Society 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , , ,

A college student complained that food delivered by her family while she resided in a quarantine facility was opened, dug through, and crushed by quarantine personnel, making her feel that she was being treated like a criminal, but the Minister of Health and Welfare said that this was “necessary.” The college student revealed the information along with pictures on the student-oriented social media platform “D-card,” on February 17th. The pictures showed that packets of snacks such as potato chips were

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Taiwan’s Hidden Power: How Taiwan can expand its power & role as a beacon of hope

Taipei City
Guest Commentary 
Guest Commentary 1 Comment ,

By Colin Hodge A WORRYING TREND & A REASON FOR HOPE Worldwide, there’s a dangerous trend that threatens human rights, freedoms, and democracy. There are rising and emboldened powers working to suppress these freedoms, both inside and outside of their borders, in established democracies and in authoritarian governments alike. As an American, I’ve witnessed the fragility of our rights & democracy over the past few years.  As an American living here, I’ve felt solidarity with my friends in Taiwan, Hong

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Five human-rights-violating dictatorships elected to United Nations Human Rights Council while democratic nation Taiwan still denied UN membership

UNHSRC cracked glass
International Relations 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The United States and Israel are among critics of the United Nations General Assembly’s decision to advance China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan to the United Nation’s top human rights body – the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHCR), and Taiwan United Nations Alliance is also calling out the UN’s hypocrisy. “Today the UN General Assembly once again elected countries with abhorrent human rights records, including China, Russia, and Cuba. Venezuela was elected in 2019,” US Secretary of State Mike

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Man Rides Around Taiwan Naked to Promote Legalization of Nudity

Almost naked man poses with tourists
Odd News 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

[Update: November 10, 2017. The cover image has been edited and one picture removed from this post due to a threat by Google to stop serving ads on my site. The pictures depicted this man almost, but not quite naked. Although the pictures were widely distributed in Taiwan’s liberal and democratic press, this site has been censored due to the fact I rely on Google to subsidize the costs of running my site. Facebook had previously prevented distribution of the

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Greenpeace Releases Scathing Report on Taiwan

frozen tuna on a fishing boat
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , , , , ,

A comprehensive report on Taiwan’s fishing industry was released by Greenpeace International, Thursday April 14, which accuses the country’s government of failing to take responsibility for the actions of of its fishing fleet in global waters; and warns of damage to the Made in Taiwan brand. The report is the result of a 12-month investigation that included interviews and observations of Taiwanese vessels and crew operating in the Pacific Ocean as far away as Fiji. Investigators visited major fishing ports

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