Forty years ago, freedom and democracy were still farfetched dreams in Taiwan. Our predecessors, risking their liberty and even their lives, laid the foundation for human rights and democracy. Today, we carry on their beliefs and perseverance, facing new challenges with the firm conviction that human rights are the foundation of nation-building.
Over the past forty years, human rights awareness has progress despite of threats from the authoritarian regime. However, we are keenly aware that democracy and human rights may regress at any moment of complacency. A healthy democracy requires unfiltered voices. This year, we have delved into key issues through thematic forums to illuminate a path forward.
Although times have changed, challenges remain. We will continue striving to ensure that human rights are implemented in every corner of society. We hope that future generations in Taiwan can grow and thrive in a society safeguarded by human rights, strengthening Taiwan together. As our founding declaration stated in 1984:
“Human rights work is a long and arduous journey.”
“Humanity is one family.” No matter where one is born or the environment in which one grows up in, all humans deserve dignity, and the right to live with liberty and equality. The pursuit of human rights is humanity’s shared aspiration for moral and civilizational advancement.
36 Years of Martial Law’s Red Line Remain Unchanged
“What’s the use of going on the streets now? The Journey of Assembly and Protest in Taiwan’s Democratization.”
In our forum, we revisited the history of the National Security Acts, which were enacted to suppress civic activities. Soon after TAHR was founded in 1984, martial law was lifted. However, authoritarian legal frameworks continued to restrict basic human rights. From its inception, the association has fought for first-generation human rights issues, addressing Taiwan’s democratization through legal case remedies, the evolving responsibilities of law enforcement, and the loosening of restrictive practices on assembly and protest rights.
Despite these shifts in practice, the red lines drawn by the Assembly and Protest Act in 1988 remain unamended. Furthermore, they fail to align with current enforcement practices. Through this year’s periodic implementation review of Taiwan’s compliance with the Two Covenants, we learned that neither the Executive Yuan nor the Ministry of the Interior has proposed an amendment draft as promised. This legislative inaction leaves protestors vulnerable to legal suppression. Moreover, other laws have increasingly been used as tools to suppress dissents in addition to the Assembly and Protest Act.
Digital Privacy Demands Stricter Governance as Data Utilization Increases
The panel discussion “Privacy as the Cornerstone of Democracy” revisited landmark cases such as the Constitutional Interpretation No. 603 (The Fingerprint Case), the Opposition to the National ID Card program, and the National Health Insurance Database Case. These cases laid the foundations for data autonomy and highlighted the shortcoming of Taiwan’s legal framework for data governance.
This year, TAHR continued to propose recommendations for important “data utilization” draft. We examined the draft Health and Welfare Data Management Ordinance from the perspectives of database construction and management, consent and withdrawal rights, aiming to allow every Taiwanese citizen to truly control their own medical records.
In the face of technological advancements, TAHR provided feedback on the draft of the AI Basic Law, hoping it will effectively protect digital human rights. Additionally, TAHR participated in the United Nation’s consultation on artificial intelligence, where our recommendations were adopted. In 2025, we hope that the aforementioned draft will incorporate recommendations of human rights organizations, making necessary adjustments to advance data autonomy and establish a robust environment for data governance.
Case Review and Legislative Stagnation: How to Protect the Rights of Asylum Seekers in Taiwan?
The lecture “Does Taiwan have Refugees?” began from a historical standpoint, revisiting the refugee camps setup in Penghu, the residency challenges faced by exiled Tibetans, and various struggles encountered by asylums seekers in recent years, delineating the shortcomings of Taiwan’s asylum system.
Last year, under the joint advocacy of TAHR, Amnesty International and legislators, the National Immigration Agency launched the Temporary Alien Registration Identification asylum program in an attempt to address the long-standing lack of asylum mechanism. TAHR subsequently assisted several asylum seekers in applying for the program. However, due to a severe shortage of trained personnel, the initiative suffers from repeated delays in the review process. So far, no applications have been approved, leaving applicants stranded in Taiwan without any protection of their basic rights.
Addressing the systemic issues of the asylum program requires a comprehensive legal framework. Despite the government’s pledge in the National Human Rights Action Plan to submit a draft refugee bill to the Legislative Yuan by the end of the year, the responsible agency failed to advance the process, leading to continuous delays in enacting refugee legislation.
In 2025, TAHR will continue to monitor the implementation of the asylum program, advocate for the passing of the refugee legislation, and push for a robust asylum system to ensure asylum seekers facing persecutions receive the protections they deserve in Taiwan.
Forced Labour Amongst Distant-Water Fishers Remains a Systemic Issue: Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence Legislation is the Solution
As an independent nation striving to reinforce democracy and human rights, Taiwan has been scrutinized by domestic and international civil society for its systemic failures to protect migrant workers’ basic human rights. Among these issues, forced labor and human trafficking in the distant-water fishing industry are particularly critical, threatening the future of Taiwan’s fisheries and potentially destabilizing the global supply chain, where Taiwan is the second-largest actor.
Since becoming a member of the Coalition for the Protection of Migrant Fishers’ Rights in 2018, TAHR has been advocating for institutional protections for migrant fishers, calling for the abolition of the dual-track employment system, and demanding that distant-water fishers be covered under the Labor Standards Act. Despite these efforts, violations persist, cases such as the Fuh Sheng No. 11, which violated ILO C188’s Work in Fishing Convention, the abuse and death of a fishermen on the ship Da Wang, and the collapse of the Nanfang’ao Bridge, which killed six fishers. In 2023, TAHR participated in the Wi-Fi Now for Fishers’ Rights campaign, calling for legislations mandating Wi-Fi access for fishers at sea. However, in 2024, fishers on vessels such as Yu Fu, Xin Lian Fa, and Yu Shun continued to face isolation and wage withholding.
In 2025, we will continue to advocate for the Taiwanese government to enact corporate human rights due diligence laws and mandate the instillation of Wi-Fi on all distant-water fishing vessels. These measures are essential to significantly reduce exploitations and forced labour practices in the distant-water fishing industry.
Victory in Taoyuan Aerotropolis Land Expropriation Case: A Call to Review the Comprehensive Land Development System
The seminar “Is the right to adequate housing protected?” reviewed court rulings in recent years, highlighting the lack of protection for the “right to use” in current legislations when housing rights conflict with other rights.
The Taoyuan Aerotropolis Land Expropriation Case achieved another victory in court this year, offering a critical incentive for the government to conduct a comprehensive review on the current land expropriation system. For years, the system has faced criticism for potentially violating the constitution, weaponizing land development into a means of oppression and suppression of human rights, demanding urgent reforms.
This year, the Control Yuan urged the Ministry of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive review of the Urban Reconsolidation and Implementation by Private Sector system. The censure highlighted systemic loopholes that allow the system to become a tool for corporate land grabs and the plundering of private property. Simultaneously, due to the lack of land property rights, long-term residents without formal ownership becomes vulnerable to forced evictions and displacements as a result of land development.
In 2025, we aim to advocate for systemic reforms to bring greater legal and institutional protection for the right to housing, ensuring that land and urban development align with human rights principles.
Translated by: Nini, Intern
Mandarin version ：https://www.tahr.org.tw/news/3614
