VZCZCXRO6319
PP RUEHHM
DE RUEHIN #0787/01 0690754
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100754Z MAR 06 ZDK MULT REQ
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9021
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3191
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4838
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 3039
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 3815
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 9682
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 0556
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9077
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0038
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6034
RUESLE/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 8472
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5048
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEFHLC/DHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 000787 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR G/TIP, EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG
SUBJECT: TAIWAN NGO RECOMMENDATIONS TO COMBAT TIP 
 
REF: TAIPEI 0642 
 
TAIPEI 00000787  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary: AIT held a roundtable with local NGOs on 1 March 
to discuss labor and foreign bride trafficking highlighted in 
the 2006 Taiwan TIP report (reftel).  The NGOs stated Taiwan 
needs to pass a comprehensive TIP law for victims, address 
broker/domestic caretaker abuses, and institute better 
screening/protection procedures for foreign brides.  AIT will 
meet with Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) officials to elicit 
the government's response to the NGO's complaints and plans 
for addressing TIP.  End summary. 
 
¶2. Seven representatives from four NGOs attended the 
roundtable: 
 
Stella Maris International Service Center; Bruno Ciceri 
Hope Workers Center; Allison Lee, Akkraporn Bunchongsilp 
Taiwan International Workers Association; Jinru Wu 
Vietnamese Migrant Workers and Brides Office; Peter Nguyen, 
Nguyen Cuong, My-Nga Le 
 
Comprehensive TIP Law Needed 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. The NGO reps argued that Taiwan needs a comprehensive 
anti-trafficking law.  All of the NGOs present agreed that 
trafficked foreign workers and brides have few rights under 
existing Taiwan law.  They noted that workers and brides 
often run away because of harsh working conditions and 
abuses, but authorities do little because the victims' status 
is deemed illegal once they run away.  Thus, the NGOs told 
AIT, many victims do not report abuses to the authorities 
because they fear they will be deported or jailed.  They 
added that foreign brides face similar consequences if their 
marriages are determined to be false, even if the brides have 
been abused or tricked.  The NGOs told AIT that TIP 
legislation would ensure victims have basic protection and 
not simply be punished when they report abuses. 
 
Scrutinize Broker and Caretaker Abuses 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. The NGOs told AIT that the government has done little to 
address the problem of broker abuses.  While the CLA has 
taken some measures to educate workers and establish 
government resources, the NGOs said many brokers prevent 
workers from receiving this information.  The NGOs argue that 
the government should focus on educating brokers and cracking 
down on broker abuses.  The CLA, they continued, should 
establish a database of brokers and prohibit brokers who 
violate the law from importing workers.  The government 
routinely checks the background of workers, but does nothing 
to check the background of, or previous record of abuses by 
labor brokers.  Furthermore, the CLA does little to assist 
workers if they have signed a contract, even if their 
contracts are fraudulent or signed under duress. 
 
¶5. Caretakers are another source of TIP abuse, since about 
half of foreign workers in Taiwan are domestic employees. 
The NGOs contend that many domestic workers are victims of 
sexual harassment and abuse and must endure this treatment or 
face immediate deportation.  Many clients have a history of 
abusing caretakers and the NGOs want the government to 
document these abusers in a database and crack down on 
abusive households.  Moreover, the NGOs pointed out domestic 
workers are not covered by Taiwan labor standards laws, such 
as the minimum wage and time off from work.  The NGOs have 
drafted a "Household Services Act" to solve this problem, but 
they claim the CLA has been unresponsive to the proposed 
legislation. 
 
Better Screening for Foreign Brides 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6. The NGOs told AIT that Taiwan must do more to identify 
 
TAIPEI 00000787  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
trafficked brides when they register with authorities upon 
arrival in Taiwan.  Taiwan requires newly arrived brides to 
undergo health screening and register with local police. 
NGOs suggested that more police should be trained in 
identifying and recognizing TIP cases, enabling them to spot 
TIP cases in which women are visibly scared, and threatened 
not to leave their husband's side at police stations.  The 
NGOs maintain that the brides should be separated during the 
registration process so they can safely report abuses or 
inform police of their situation.  NGOs explained that this 
initial registration process is a critical time and many 
victims could be identified and rescued. 
 
¶7. The NGOs also told AIT that the government should maintain 
a database of husbands who marry foreign brides and perform a 
simple criminal background check.  Many men have criminal 
records and have served as husbands multiple times since 
penalties for "sham" marriages are so lenient.  The NGOs 
pointed to Australia in the 1980s, when many Filipina women 
married Australian men, many of whom were abusive.  After the 
Australian government established a database and background 
check system, the problem was greatly reduced. 
KEEGAN