CONFIDENTIAL
TAIWAN
Report by Far Eastern Department.
General Observations
The information below is mainly taken from press and Amnesty reports, as there is no British official representation in Taiwan.
Right No.
(i)
(ii)
Rating Suggested
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Political detainees are allegedly held under arrest after secret trials in military courts, but Amnesty has recently criticised the practice of holding political detainees incommunicado for indefinite periods before bringing them to trial.
Information is occasionally received from political detainees describing torture (eg beatings, deprivation of sleep). Amnesty has repeatedly reported hearing of torture being used "to extract confessions". In 1970 the Chinese Nationalists refused to give visas to an Amnesty delegation wishing to investigate political prisoners in Taiwan.
(iii) Slavery does not exist.
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
Although the "Government" denies that censor- ship exists on Taiwan's press, political authorities do exercise control over the press. During the "temporary" provisions effective during the period of Communist Rebellion (in force since 1948), emergency regulations prevent freedom of speech on political issues.
The Constitution stipulates that judges should conduct trials "independently and free from
Military not civilian courts are responsible for political crimes.
interference".
The Constitution does not provide for the right to strike and stipulates that "concilia- tion and arbitration of disputes between capital and labour shall be prescribed by law". No information is readily available on the incidencecef strikes or effectiveness of col- lective bargaining procedures.
(vii) Reports from Japan speak of political activists
from Taiwan not being permitted to have pass- ports.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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