Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008
By Jenny W. Hsu
STAFF REPORTER
Taipei Times
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday strongly protested claims by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that Cambodian women living in Taiwan were ill-treated.
During a visit to China last month, Hun was quoted saying that more than half of the 2,500 Cambodian women living in Taiwan do not possess legal identity papers or official approval, after they were misled into going to Taiwan for work or to marry a Taiwanese man.
Hun Sen said some of the women had been sold to brothels and forced to work as prostitutes.
He said he had refused Taipei's offer to open up a representative office in Phnom Penh because of the mistreatment of Cambodian women by Taiwanese, not because Phnom Penh wanted to pander to China.
"The prime minister's claim could not farther from the truth," ministry spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh said, criticizing Cambodian leaders for making unfounded accusations.
In a press release, the ministry said the 4,500 Cambodianss residing in Taiwan had received equal and adequate care.
A minor percentage of them, the statement said, are ineligible for legal resident status in Taiwan because the Cambodian government did not provide them with the proper documentation, which showed that the Cambodian government has long neglected to take care of its citizens while they are overseas.
The ministry also protested Hun's comments that Taiwan has no right to join the UN because of its non-state status.
Taiwan was an independent sovereign nation with every right to be part of the global body and people of Taiwan are entitled to hold a referendum on the issue to decide for themselves, the ministry said in the statement.
During a visit to China last month, Hun was quoted saying that more than half of the 2,500 Cambodian women living in Taiwan do not possess legal identity papers or official approval, after they were misled into going to Taiwan for work or to marry a Taiwanese man.
Hun Sen said some of the women had been sold to brothels and forced to work as prostitutes.
He said he had refused Taipei's offer to open up a representative office in Phnom Penh because of the mistreatment of Cambodian women by Taiwanese, not because Phnom Penh wanted to pander to China.
"The prime minister's claim could not farther from the truth," ministry spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh said, criticizing Cambodian leaders for making unfounded accusations.
In a press release, the ministry said the 4,500 Cambodianss residing in Taiwan had received equal and adequate care.
A minor percentage of them, the statement said, are ineligible for legal resident status in Taiwan because the Cambodian government did not provide them with the proper documentation, which showed that the Cambodian government has long neglected to take care of its citizens while they are overseas.
The ministry also protested Hun's comments that Taiwan has no right to join the UN because of its non-state status.
Taiwan was an independent sovereign nation with every right to be part of the global body and people of Taiwan are entitled to hold a referendum on the issue to decide for themselves, the ministry said in the statement.
