The Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Lung-chu Chen During the
past decade, Taiwan has made tremendous progress in the protection of
human rights. The political prisoner is a thing of the past, and the list
of human rights enjoyed by the individual continues to expand. Thanks to
the multi-party democracy and the unceasing efforts of human rights
organizations and civic groups, more and more attention is paid to the
promotion and protection of human rights. In Taiwan today, many laws and regulations fall short of international human rights standards; human rights research and education require more effort; there is no annual national report on human rights; there is no effective institution and machinery to deal with human rights violations. In short, a national human rights commission is urgently needed in Taiwan. As we celebrate the lunar new year, we ought to reflect on ways and means of enhancing human rights protection in Taiwan. Establishing a national human rights commission should be a matter of high priority. |