Who Are the Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples?
Every time I mention that I am from an indigenous tribe in Taiwan, I realize: the outside world really doesn’t know much about us. So who are the indigenous peoples of Taiwan?
Rabbit Temple and Dildos: Let’s Talk About (Same) Sex
A Taoist temple priest and two young entrepreneurs are promoting more public, civic discourse on sex, so that sex is not simply a private, voyeuristic taboo, but rather an integral part of social well-being.
United States Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court announced its landmark ruling to officially legalize same-sex marriage across all 50 states. The decision to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples is a long-waited victory for gay rights activists in the US.
DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen Announces China Stance in the US
DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan-China relations should be based on “accumulated outcomes,” including that in 1992 both sides agreed to disagree in order to move the relationship forward.
Why the KMT’s Old Base is Doomed
The political unity of the waishengren base is becoming a thing of the past. Most of the third generation have practically assimilated, and they call themselves Taiwanese. Few of the fourth generation will identify as waishengren at all.
Southeast Asian Nations No Consensus Over Rohingya Crisis
The Rohingya, the stateless and widely persecuted minority group in Myanmar and Bangladesh, has the largest number of about 25,000 people who sailed out of Bangladesh and Myanmar since 2014, with hundreds of deaths at sea.
President Ma: US-Taiwan Relations Best in 36 Years
Ma touted that US-Taiwan relations has been at its best in 36 years, and he credits that to his “successful handling” of cross straits relations based on the 1992 Consensus, and a “low-key, surprise-free approach” to dealing with the US.
The DPP’s Midlife Crisis
If Lin I-hsiung and Hsu Hsin-liang set down DPP’s conflict between idealism and pragmatism in the early days, then which path did the DPP eventually walk? Which former chairman’s vision has the DPP accomplished?
Kaohsiung First to Register Same-sex Couples
On Thursday, Kaohsiung’s City Government launched a long-waited “Sunny Registration” pilot project for same-sex couples, but some LGBTI activists criticize the project for not having any legal effect.
Labor Benefits Win Big, With Worries
On Friday, May 15, Taiwan’s parliament lowered the maximum normal working hour from 84 hours per two weeks, to 40 hours per week; long term caretakers also get government aid. But some worry about funding and economic competitiveness.
Taiwan at the UN: Indigenous Peoples Forum
Although Taiwan is barred from entering the United Nations, Taiwan’s indigenous groups have participated in the UN’s Indigenous Peoples Forum to be part of the discourse on indigenous rights and welfare worldwide.
What Problems Does the Trans-Pacific Partnership Face?
The Trans-Pacific Partnership would become the world’s biggest free trade deal, but only if it is signed successfully amidst opposition from groups in the US and Japan, while Taiwan tries to join but with possible criticism at home…