Timeline of Key Social Human Rights Events

• 1984 July
  The Labor Standards Law, the ROC's key labor legislation, is passed by the Legislative Yuan. The number of workers covered by the law, which sets guidelines for retirement pensions and overtime payments, has been gradually expanded in recent years.
   
  Related Article:
  1. Labor Rights (taken from the ROC Yearbook 2001)
  2. Protecting Labor Rights (taken from the ROC Yearbook 2001)
   

• 1987 August
  The Cabinet establishes the Council of Labor Affairs on August 1, 1987, an indication of the ROC government's determination to enhance the welfare of the country's labor force.
   
  Related Article:
  News Analysis: Taiwan's Labor Force Gets New Council To Handle (Free China Journal, 08/10/1987, by Hamilton Huang)
   

• 1992 May
  The Employment Services Act is promulgated, guaranteeing equal job opportunities and access to employment services for all.
   
  Related Article:
  Employment Services Act (taken from the ROC Yearbook 2001)
   

• 1994 July
  The National Assembly adopts the term yuan-chu-min (Aborigine) to replace the expression shan-pao (mountain compatriot) by passing a series of Additional Articles of the ROC Constitution. According to the articles: "The state shall accord to the Aborigines in the free area [the Taiwan area] legal protection of their status and the right to political participation. It shall also provide assistance and encouragement for their education, cultural preservation, social welfare and business undertakings.
   

• 1994 September
  The Grand Justices rule that a Civil Code article giving fathers priority in deciding issues related to their children is unconstitutional.
   
  Related Article:
  Father favoritism unconstitutional (Free China Journal, 09/30/1994, by Venny Chan)
   

• 1996 March
  Taipei City Government establishes the Commission for Native Taiwanese Affairs, an agency charged with protecting the interests of the city's Aborigines. In July 1997, Kaohsiung City Government follows suit.
   
  Related Article:
  Indigenous Peoples (taken from ROC Yearbook 2001)
   

• 1996 August
  The ROC's first-ever civil service examination for disabled citizens is held.
   
  Related Articles:
  1. Disabled People (taken from the ROC Yearbook 2001)
  2. Disabled get own civil service exam (Free China Journal, 08/03/1996, by Ken Chiu)
   

• 1996 September
  The Civil Code is revised to protect the property rights of married women, and to end decades of bias in favor of men in child custody cases.
   
  Related Article:
  Lawmakers approve removal of biases against women (Free China Journal, 09/26/1996, by Christie Su)

• 1996 December
  The Council of Aboriginal Affairs, a Cabinet-level agency, is set up to safeguard the rights and well-being of Taiwan's 370,000 Aborigines. Hua Chia-chih, a KMT party official, is appointed first chairman of the council.
   
  Related Articles:
  1. Aboriginal rights bill reviewed (Taiwan Headlines, 06/02/2000)
  2. Autonomy for Orchid Island? (Taiwan Headlines, 07/21/2000)
  3. Aboriginal Development Bill approved by Cabinet (Taiwan Headlines, 10/26/2000)
   

• 1998 April
  The Grand Justices declare unconstitutional a Civil Code provision which gives husbands the power to designate a family's place of legal residence.
   
  Related Article:
  Ruling enhances women's rights (Free China Journal, 04/24/1998, by Linda Chang)
   

• 2000 January
  The Nationality Law is revised to allow children born to ROC mothers and foreign fathers to acquire ROC nationality. Previously, such children did not qualify for ROC nationality. The revisions also enable foreign spouses of ROC citizens to apply for naturalization in the ROC.
   
  Related Article:
  No more 'roundabout' Law recognizes foreign fathers (Taipei Journal, 03/31/2000, by Joyce Lin)
   

• 2000 October
  The Taiwan High Court begins retrying the Hsichih Trio, three men whose convictions for a 1991 double murder are widely regarded as erroneous.
   
  Related Articles:
  1. 'Hsichih Trio' to get retrial (Taiwan Headlines, 10/30/2000) 
  2. New Developments in Case of the Hsichih Trio (Sinorama, 11/2000, by Alexandra Liu)
  3. Hsichih Trio speak of police torture (Taiwan Headlines, 11/17/2000)
   

• 2000 December
  On International Human Rights Day on December 10, President Chen Shui-bian signs a pardon for 21 convicts, 19 of whom are Jehovah's Witnesses jailed for refusing to perform compulsory military service. One is a labor activist imprisoned for his role in a protest, another a man whose conviction for murder and robbery was highly controversial.
   
  Related Article:
  Pardoned prisoners walk free (Taiwan Headlines, 12/11/2001)
   
  President Chen officiates at a group wedding ceremony in Taipei to mark International Human Rights Day.
   
  Related Article:
  President officiates at 'human rights' wedding (Taiwan Headlines, 12/10/2000)
   

• 2001 April  
  Local rights organizations bring together local youngsters for the first ever Taiwan Children's Rights Summit.
   
  Related Article:
  Youths speak out for rights (Taipei Journal, 05/11/2001, by Catherine Hsieh)
   

• 2001 July  
  Responding to a controversy over organ donations by criminals sentenced to death, the Ministry of Justice decides to strictly apply rules concerning the definition of "brain death" in order to protect the human rights of death-row inmates.
   
  Related Article:
  Rules for death-row organ donations under review (Taiwan Headlines, 07/27/2001)
   
  Courts rule that colleges cannot violate students' educational rights by expelling them for misbehavior or poor academic performance.
   
  Related Article:
  Court says colleges cannot expel students (Taiwan Headlines, 07/27/2001)