5/1/1997 

  1. Pai Ping-ping's Daughter Kidnapped for Ransom
  2. Taking a Bite Out of Forced Fellatio
  3. Constitutional Reforms Threaten Women's Rights 
  4. Women are in Danger, Yao Kao-chiao Should Step Down
  5. State to Mothers: Have children at your own risk!
  6. Legal Proceedings Against Shih Chi-ching and Chen Yeh
  7. Tip of the Iceberg in Female Child Abuse
  8. Questions Persist in the Case of the Female Child Murdered at Air Force Headquarters
  9. "Women's Circle," the New Release by Author Cheng Mei-li, Describes Taiwan Lesbian Community
  10. Insurance for Sexual Harassment Litigation Promoted in Japan
  1. Pai Ping-ping's Daughter Kidnapped for Ransom 


    2. Pai Hsiao-yen, only daughter of popular singer-entertainer Pai Ping-ping, was kidnapped on April 14 on her way to school. The kidnappers cut off one of Hsiao-yen's fingers and sent it to her mother demanding a ransom of US$5 million.

    Pai Ping-ping promptly reported the incident to the police. On April 25, authorities arrested three people in connection with the crime, while another three (Chen Chin-hsing, Lin Chun-sheng, and Kao Tien-min) fled. The following day, Pai Ping-ping held a short news conference asking the kidnappers to release their victims and commented on Taiwan society and politics. Her firmness and sincerity was unusually moving.

    Pai Hsiao-yen's body was found on the 28th. Initial reports indicated the victim had been raped before she was murdered sometime around the 19th. The three remaining suspects are still at large.

    News organizations, which learned of the incident, made a tacit agreement to conduct interviews while putting a hold on the story, but the China Daily News(Chung-hua Jih-bao), The Great News(Ta-cheng Bao), and First Hand Magazine (Di-yi-shou Bao-tao) went ahead and ran it anyway, in spite of the victim's safety. The Independence Daily News and TVBS publicized photos of Pai Hsiao-yen taken by the kidnappers; the China Times released photographs partially revealing the victim's naked corpse. Even now, there are still many on-location media vans parked outside of Pai Ping-ping's front door.

    The media's cold-bloodedness makes a perfect complement to the kidnappers' cruelty, each vying to outdo the other. When public security deteriorates, women and other marginal groups are the first to suffer, sacrificed to society. "Womenet News Net" will continue work closely with feminist and other activist groups. Readers will be informed by e-mail in the near future. We want to give Hsiao-yen some justice and save ourselves!
     

  2. Taking a Bite Out of Forced Fellatio 


    3. Two male suspects, Cheng Chin-lung and Liu Chien-chung, seized two couples taking in the night view on Peitou's Chungcheng Peak. Cheng Chin-lung tried to force one of the women to perform oral intercourse, but she bit and wounded his genitals. The other three victims used the opportunity to struggle free and attack Cheng. Stabbed 17 times, Cheng died in hospital. Public debate has focused on whether or not the four victims used appropriate means in self-defense. (United Daily News, April 23, 1997, p. 3).

  3. Constitutional Reforms Threaten Women's Rights 


    4. In the "Proposed Amendments and Additions to the Constitution of the Republic of China" drafted by the ruling KMT party, the guaranteed level of female representation was further reduced. The current draft proposes a minimum of 25% be reserved for women, but there is a catch. Among members of the legislature, there would only be minimum female representation for the 50 seats reserved for overseas representatives and members-at-large, while the other 200 district representatives would be exempt. Hence the true level of female representation would be barely one sixteenth. Women's organizations are planning to contest this statistical sham.

    Politics should be based on participation by both genders. Guaranteed minimum levels of female representation is a way to help us achieve this goal, as well as a way to compensate for the relatively underprivileged position of women in contemporary Taiwan. If the ruling party does not feel that women's participation in national politics should be guaranteed, they should at least undertake a public debate with women's representatives rather than try to garner support with such patently dishonest methods!
     

  4. Women are in Danger, Yao Kao-chiao Should Step Down 


    5. Analyzing the Police Department's 1998 budget, the Winnie Peng Foundation announced that although women face increasing danger to their safety, the majority of the police budget is still earmarked for hardware purchases with an anti-drug, anti-organized crime emphasis. Women's rights are not a priority. The Winnie Peng Foundation demands that Police Chief Yao Kao-chiao step down. (Independence Daily, April 20, 1997, p. 4).

  5. State to Mothers: Have children at your own risk! 


    6. The Executive Yuan has decided to remove measures providing protection to mothers from the "Draft Amendment to Details Concerning Implementation of the National Labor Law." Article 26-1 of the original draft states: "Employers should avoid allowing female employees who are either pregnant or in their first year of maternity to work between the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day." In deciding to revise this provision, the Executive Yuan felt that since the term "avoid" was too vague, it would be better remove the entire regulation altogether. Protection for mothers can be negotiated in individual contracts. (Liberty Times, April 27, 1997, p. 13).

    Employers have continuously resisted implementing the regulations of the National Labor Law. Now the Executive Yuan has decided that the law does not even have to cover motherhood, will the protection afforded by individual labor contracts be enough? Either the Executive Yuan is utterly naive, or else it believes that female workers are just plain stupid.
     

  6. Legal Proceedings Against Shih Chi-ching and Chen Yeh 


    7. On a trip to Hainan Island in September 1996, feminist activists Shih Chi-ching and Chen Yeh discovered male members of their tour group were purchasing sexual favors. Upon their return to Taiwan, the pair published an expose in local newspapers titled, "A Behind the Scene Record of Taiwanese Men On the Prowl: Prostitution on Hainan Island." One of the members of the tour group, a practicing attorney by the name of Kuo, felt that he had not participated in purchasing sexual favors. Mr. Kuo accused Shih and Chen of defamation, and the Taichung District Attorney brought formal charges against the two. Shih Chi-ching explained that although both defendants are representatives of Taipei, their request to have the case transferred to a Taipei court was overruled, hence the defendants have refused to appear. The Taichung District Attorney summarily decided to press charges after only a single hearing in which all the witnesses were male. (Liberty Times, April 26, 1997, p. 5).

  7. Tip of the Iceberg in Female Child Abuse 


    8. A Taipei male resident, Huang Ming-hsun, claiming to be the school president, kidnapped a ten-year old girl whose family name was Yen, holding her in his home for a period of six years, during which he constantly raped her and fed her only biscuits and instant noodles. Mr. Huang's family, aware of the affair, tacitly assented. Mr. Huang visited the victim's home, pretending to be a philanthropist. After drugging the mentally-handicapped Mrs. Yen, Mr. Huang sexually assaulted the victim's 12-year old younger sister and her one year old cousin.

    A Miaoli County male resident, Lin Wen-kui, raped the 12-year old daughter of his girlfriend in retaliation for her request to break off their relationship. According to reports, Lin's former girlfriend was first raped by Lin and forced into the relationship. This was the third reported case of sexual violence against female children in Miaoli this month.

    A Miaoli County male resident, Lin Wen-kui, raped the 12-year old daughter of his girlfriend in retaliation for her request to break off their relationship. According to reports, Lin's former girlfriend was first raped by Lin and forced into the relationship. This was the third reported case of sexual violence against female children in Miaoli this month.

    A male resident of Tainan, Huang Yung-chin, used the excuse of "supplementing" his "chi" to trick his girlfriend into letting him molest her two eldest daughters, as well as repeatedly rape her third daughter of only eight years old.

    In Kaohsiung, a girl was found raped by her father over a period of six years because the father suspected the mother of infidelity and used the daughter for revenge. The girl's mother and her grandfather all knew of the rape, but advised the girl to put up with it anyway. Once, when she ran away from home to find shelter in an uncle's house, she was raped by the uncle. (United Daily News, April 22, 1997, p. 7; United Daily News, April 24, 1997, p. 7; Independence Post, April 16, 1997, p. 7).

    These incidents are just the tip of the iceberg of what is reported; the newspapers only report another "tip of the tip" of the cases reported to the police; and the number of cases reported to the police is only a "tip of the tip of the tip," as it were, of the total number of cases actually occurring...This social "iceberg" is more like glacier!
     

  8. Questions Persist in the Case of the Female Child Murdered at Air Force Headquarters 


    9. A death sentence against Sgt. Chiang Kuo-ching, accused of murdering a female child by the name of Hsieh who was raped and found dead in Airforce Headquarters last September, was rescinded by a military appeals court. The reason for the decision was because of questions surrounding the murder weapon and time of death, plus lack of any direct evidence. Chiang Kuo-ching reported to his family that he had been subjected to torture. (Independence Post, April 16, 1997, p. 5).

  9. "Women's Circle," the New Release by Author Cheng Mei-li, Describes Taiwan Lesbian Community 


    10. Taiwan's first work of field research on the local lesbian community, "Women's Circle," hit the shelves in bookstores. Author Cheng Lei-li stated that the appearance of this book was deeply indebted to developments in society. Efforts by the Gay and Lesbian movement and the opening of a public space for Gay and Lesbian issues were the factors which made it possible to conduct field research on lesbians. Published by Fembooks, "Women's Circle" has already made it onto the list of the China Times' Book Review Selection of the Week.

  10. Insurance for Sexual Harassment Litigation Promoted in Japan 


    11. The American Insurance Group (AIG) and its Japanese affiliate, American Insurance Union (AIU) is promoting insurance to companies against claims by employees suffering from sexual harassment. Insured companies must, however, meet the following conditions: the company must have clear internal punishment for sexual harassment and must first submit to an AIU education course on the subject.