This Week in Taiwan 1129-1205
November 30: The number of additional external coronavirus (COVID-19) cases on this day spiked to 24, including 20 Indonesian migrant workers. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), announced that effective December 4, Taiwan will suspend Indonesian workers from entering Taiwan for two weeks, affecting about 1,350. To date, of 107 confirmed cases which involve foreign migrant workers, Indonesian workers account for 83.
December 1: The new autumn and winter measures for epidemic prevention took effect. Now, people who enter eight categories of public locations are required to wear face masks, and violators will be imposed a fine of up to NT$15,000 (about US$531). In addition, those entering or transiting through Taiwan must present a nucleic acid negative test report. The CECC will now strictly inspect the test reports for fraud and will permit the public to report to the authorities. Those found to present a counterfeit document will be fined NT$10,000 (about US$354) to NT$150,000 (about US$5,316).
December 1: The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) caucus of the Legislative Yuan reviewed data revealing that the Executive Yuan spent NT$6.8 million (about US$241,000) in a year to hire nine social media editors to create illustrators. This amount is 15 times the budget allotted to the same purpose in 2017. For the past four years, the Executive Yuan has spent some $103 million (about US$3.6 million) on "internal propaganda." The TPP caucus, suspecting that the Executive Yuan is taking advantage of the state apparatus to create illustrations on social media to attack opposition parties, demanded that the Executive Yuan respond within one week, or else the TPP caucus will propose a budget cut.
December 1: Yu Nai-wen, who heads the domestic investment section of the Bureau of Labor Funds, Ministry of Labor, was suspected of receiving improperly benefits and kickbacks from business people in order to execute certain trades for their benefit. This led to losses of NT$74.9 billion (about US$2.6 billion) in labor funds during the month September. Responding to interpellation at the Legislative Yuan, Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun stated that when investment anomalies were found, she took the initiative to investigate and transfer Yu from his current post.
December 2: The mainland Chinese picture book, Waiting for Dad to Come Home, which contains phrases like "Go Wuhan" and "Go China," related to the pandemic, was identified by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators and city councilors as propaganda meant to beautify the pandemic in China. The Ministry of Culture ordered bookstores to take the book off the shelves. The move created controversy and was criticized for violating the freedom of press.
December 4: Responding to the interpallation by Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an, Premier Su Tseng-chang claimed on December 1 that Sings Kout Meat, the chairman of which is a central standing committee member of the KMT, supports the polices of the administration. Sings Kout Meat immediately issued a statement denying support for importing pork containing ractopamine. The KMT demanded that Premier Su publicly apologize and step down. On December 2, the Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services, Pingtung County Government, arrived at the meat factory to inspect fire safety, suspected by critics as retaliation. The KMT went to the police station on December 4 to report Premier Su for violating the Social Order Maintenance Act, lying, and spreading false information.