Dr. Larry Diamond and Dr. Kharis Templeman of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University visited the National Human Rights Commission today with a delegation of students in the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) of Stanford University. The discussions focused on the rights and interests of migrant workers, humanitarian aid and support for migrant fishers, and the balance of environmental sustainability and economic development in the fishery industry. Wang Yu-ling, Vice Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, stated that the Commission has always prioritized the human rights issues of migrant workers since its establishment. It has placed special emphasis on the rights of migrant workers and migrant fishers in vulnerable conditions and has filed three project reports.
Dr. Larry Diamond of Stanford University stated that he has visited Taiwan several times since the 1990s, and has observed the development of a thriving civil society in Taiwan, which culminated in the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission, Taiwan. He used the opportunity to pay tribute to friends in Taiwan that have dedicated themselves to human rights protection over the years, and stated that the students of the delegation wish to enhance their understanding of human rights issues via this forum.
During the forum, the students of the delegation inquired about issues such as human trafficking, cross-border labor exploitation, and intermediary fees. Wang Mei-yu, Member of the Control Yuan, stated that some shipowners register their vessels in countries with relatively lax laws and regulations to reduce operating costs. The abuse of flag of convenience (FOC) vessels is an important issue that requires more effort in order to protect the rights of migrant fishers.
NHRC Commissioner Chi Hui-jung stated that Taiwan's civil society has recently advocated the installation of Wi-Fi on deep-sea fishing vessels with the aim of improving migrant fishers’ rights to communication. Although the Fisheries Agency has launched a subsidy program to encourage the installation of Wi-Fi on fishing vessels, the current adoption rate remains relatively low. She stated that the NHRC is particularly concerned with migrant fishers' difficulties in terms of the direct remittance of salary and grievance channels. She also hopes that the challenges posed by flag of convenience (FOC) vessels can be addressed soon.
Vice Chairperson Wang Yu-ling stated that she was interested in the issue of labor exploitation in the framework of the world economy, which the students had mentioned during their discussions. From the perspective of the global economic division of labor, industries tend to shift to countries with lower costs. As Taiwan's demographic dividend winds down and it starts to hire large numbers of foreign migrant workers, it should make clear whether there is a shortage of labor or a shortage of cheap labor. To curb labor exploitation more effectively, workers must first learn about the available grievance channels. Cases involving human trafficking incur criminal liabilities and law enforcement personnel must have a better understanding of the definitions of forced labor.
The delegation and NHRC discussed the challenges faced by migrant workers and migrant fishers. The delegation consisted of 16 graduate and undergraduate students from a diverse range of disciplines including political science, economics, international relations, engineering, and science. They were also accompanied by Secretary-General Lee Li-hua of the Yilan Migrant Fishermen Union.