While meeting with new Australian Representative Jenny Bloomfield on April 13, CY President Chu CHEN praised Australia’s achievements in human rights protection. She added that Taiwan and Australia not only have a long history of close relations in economics, trade, and education, but also share similar situations and concerns regarding human rights issues relating to indigenous peoples and women. Based on the friendship between the two countries, President CHEN said she looks forward to further exchanges and cooperation on human rights issues with Australia in the future.
President CHEN began the meeting by expressing her gratitude to the Australian Office in Taiwan for its condolences and donations supporting recovery efforts after the recent Taroko Express train accident, additionally giving thanks to Australia for its support of Taiwan’s pineapple farmers in recent months. She further noted that Australia has always been very active in pursuing human rights, and Taiwan can learn from its abundant experience, particularly with the establishment last year of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in accordance with the Paris Principles, which operates independently and free of government interference.
CY members Jung-Chang WANG and Yu-Ling WANG, who were also in attendance, said that the pursuit of human rights has no limits and must advance with the times. While Taiwan has successfully contained the COVID-19 outbreak, the rights of the disadvantaged still have to be taken seriously even in such conditions, such as wearing transparent face masks to help those with hearing impairments be able to read speakers’ lips, as well as protecting the public’s privacy even as measures are taken to keep the pandemic under control. These are issues that the NHRC has been greatly focused on. Representative Bloomfield agreed that even during this pandemic, governments must still pay attention to human rights issues and constantly make efforts toward improvement.
Finally, Representative Bloomfield congratulated Taiwan on the establishment of the NHRC and expressed her appreciation of Taiwan’s generous donations of face masks and materials to Australia when the pandemic first broke out. She praised Taiwan for its proper handling of indigenous issues and for placing importance on women’s rights and status. She expressed the hope that both countries will have more discussions, exchanges, and cooperation in human rights matters in the future.