Examine individual changes

'The [[human rights]] record in [[Taiwan]] is generally held to have experienced significant transformation since the [[1990s]]. The [[Republic of China]] has a [[politics of Taiwan|multi-party democracy]]. The [[Republic of China presidential election, 2000|2000 presidential victory]] of [[Democratic Progressive Party]] (DPP) candidate [[Chen Shui-bian]] followed more than 50 years of rule by the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) and marked the first transition from one political party to another in the [[History of Taiwan|Taiwanese history]], reported by a Government Information Office (GIO) website as the "first ever in Chinese history".<ref>[http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/rights/preface.htm Dignity, Respect & FreedomHuman Rights in Taiwan] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312031213/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/rights/preface.htm |date=March 12, 2005 }}</ref> This followed gradual democratic reforms since the 1980s and 1990s; most notably, [[martial law]] was lifted in 1987, and the [[Temporary Provisions Effective During the Period of Communist Rebellion]] were repealed in 1991 for [[Republic of China Constitution]] to be effective in Taiwan. The citizens in Taiwan can change their government through elections and are held to enjoy most basic rights, according to a 2004 [[Freedom House]] report.<ref>[http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2004/countryratings/taiwan.htm] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051122172856/http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2004/countryratings/taiwan.htm |date=November 22, 2005 }}</ref> Freedom House rates Taiwan as among the most "Free" nations in Asia, with a 2 in Political Rights and a 1 in Civil Liberties (scale of 1-7, with 1 being the highest). This represents a significant improvement, as the 1973 rating was 6.5, rising to 2.1 by 2000. For much of the history of the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) regime in Taiwan, from the retreat from the mainland in 1949 until the 1970s and 1980s, the state was highly [[autocracy|autocratic]] and varying degrees of [[Political repression|repression]] of political and civil rights existed. The [[Legislative Yuan]] debated and ratified the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] and the [[International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights]] on 31 March 2009.<ref>https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2009/04/taiwan-ratifica-normas-basicas-ddhh-20090409/</ref> == History == ===Taiwan under Japanese rule=== The human rights during the [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|Japanese rule era]] experienced dramatic changes with three major phases. After the [[Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1895)|1895 defeat]] of the [[Republic of Formosa]], the [[Empire of Japan]] annexed Taiwan. The early Japanese administration appointed military governors. The colonial policies often limited the human rights of the [[Taiwanese people]]. After the [[Tapani incident]] in 1915 and Japan's involvement in [[World War I]], the colonial governance was gradually liberalized. Taiwan became an extension of the Japanese [[Japanese archipelago|Home Islands]] and the [[Taiwanese people]] were educated under a policy of assimilation. The last phase of Japanese rule began with the eruption of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] in 1937. As the Japanese became active in international military affairs, its [[Japanese militarism|militarism]] rose. Its goal now was to fully Japanize Taiwan. In the meantime, laws were made to grant Taiwanese membership in the [[Japanese Diet]], which theoretically would qualify a Taiwanese to become the prime minister of Japan eventually. ===Taiwan under the Republic of China=== Some of the autocracy in early [[Republic of China|Nationalist China]] also reflects a continuation of the political attitudes of Taiwan in the early decades after its founding in 1912. Many Chinese leaders, following the thought of [[Sun Yat-sen]], held it necessary to maintain strong centralized control, including a militarized regime, during the early part of the regime's history, feeling that the populace was "not ready" for full democracy. Political repression was heavy during the early Kuomintang-Taiwan period in the mainland under Chiang Kai-shek, who would retreat to Taiwan following the [[Chinese Civil War]]. Additionally, the history of Taiwan after 1945, in terms of political situation and human rights, displays multiple similarities with that of the [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]] (South Korea). Between the end of [[World War II]] and the 1980s, a similar degree of autocracy and centralization existed, followed by eventual democratization by two states. Both Taiwan and South Korea went on to become leading economic players in Asia, part of the [[Asian Tigers (economics)|Asian Tigers]], and both are now recognized as relatively free societies with successful human rights developments in most areas. The [[Asian values]] debate, which holds that the political and cultural traditions of Asia justify a certain degree of autocratic rule to enable the rapid economic development of society puts Taiwanese human rights in interesting perspective. These ideas were prevalent among many important leaders in [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], and elsewhere with seemingly Western-style democratic Constitutions coupled with authoritarian one-party rule, in the 1990s. Moreover, some in mainland China, including [[Peking University]] scholar Pan Wei Bo, feel the most effective and appropriate political structure for the Chinese people is a relatively centralized state under rule of law, with some degree of popular consultation. There are also debates as to the government's right to police social behaviours. For instance, [[Lee Chiao-Ju|a municipal councillor]] suggested that Taiwan's low fertility rate could be alleviated by making employers penalise unmarried and childless workers; this suggestion was widely rebuked for its infringement of [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights|the rights of the individual]].<ref name=taipeitimes>{{cite web | url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2012/05/26/2003533747 | title=‘Married with kids’ proposal draws ridicule | last1=Loa | first1=Iok-sin | website=Taipei Times | date=26 May 2012 | access-date=22 February 2017}}</ref> [[Capital punishment]] exists in [[Taiwan]]. [[National Police Agency (Taiwan)|National police]] and [[security]] agencies are, however, under effective civilian control, although isolated reports of human rights abuse still surface occasionally. Taiwanese residents generally enjoyed a high [[standard of living]] and a relatively equitable [[income distribution]]. The government generally respected the human rights of citizens; however, there were problems in some areas. Instances of [[police brutality|police abuse]] of persons in [[police custody]], official [[police corruption|corruption]], [[violence]] and [[sexual discrimination|discrimination]] against women, [[child prostitution]] and [[child abuse|abuse]], and [[human trafficking|trafficking of women and children]] occurred. In recent years, Taiwan's laws have focused on combating sexual discrimination, granting greater accommodation to conscientious objectors (Republic of China has obligatory national service), and upholding cultural and linguistic pluralism.<ref name="autogenerated1">http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/rights/preface.htm {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312031213/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/rights/preface.htm |date=March 12, 2005 }}</ref> In 2001, Republic of China's [[Ministry of Justice]] issued a draft version of the Basic Law On The Guarantees of Human Rights.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> For significant periods of Taiwan's history, both before and after 1949, when the Republic of China lost control of mainland China while only maintaining control of Taiwan, linguistic and cultural rights for minorities or non-power holding groups were often repressed. For example, local dialects such as [[Taiwanese Minnan|Taiwanese]] (or any other non-[[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]] spoken variants spoken by the Taiwanese) were restricted in the mass media to promote the use of [[Standard Mandarin|Mandarin]] as the common language. ==See also== {{Portal|Human rights|Taiwan}} * [[February 28 Incident]] * [[Capital punishment in Taiwan]] * [[Censorship in Taiwan]] * [[Corporal punishment in Taiwan]] *[[Human rights in China]] *[[Human rights in Tibet]] * [[LGBT rights in Taiwan]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/42641.htm 2004 U.S. State Department Report on Human Rights — China (Taiwan only)] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20050312031213/http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/rights/preface.htm Human Rights in Taiwan - Government Information Office website] * [http://freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&country=7929&year=2010 Freedom House 2010 report on Taiwan] * [http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/162/ Censorship in Taiwan] * [http://www.humanrights.moj.gov.tw/mp205.html Human rights on the website of the Ministry of Justice - review of the state reports] ** [http://www.fidh.org/the-hidden-face-of-taiwan-lessons-learnt-from-the-iccpr-icescr-review-13175 The hidden face of Taiwan: lessons learnt from the ICCPR/ICESCR review process] [[FIDH]], [[Taiwan Association for Human Rights]] {{Asia topic|Human rights in}} {{Taiwan topics}} [[Category:Human rights in Taiwan| ]]'