In response to criticism that her comments about the proposed hiring of Indian migrant laborers were “racist,” Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun apologized on Tuesday, according to Central News Agency Taiwan.
“Minister Apologizes for Controversial Remarks on Hiring Northeastern Indian Laborers”
Minister Hsu had previously said in an interview that the ministry would first concentrate on hiring laborers from northeastern India since “their skin color and dietary habits are closer to ours.”
She added, “According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) assessments, people in this region—the majority of whom are Christians—are skilled in manufacturing, construction, and farming,” as reported by Central News Agency.
Hsu apologized for her “inaccurate” remarks during a legislative hearing on Tuesday morning. She clarified that Taiwan’s labor laws are designed to promote equality for all workers, local and foreign, without discrimination.
She made it clear that she had no discriminatory intentions and was only trying to showcase the skills and productivity of Indian workers.
I would like to respond to the comments made by Minister of Labor Ming-chun Hsu：
Taiwan's recruitment of migrant workers absolutely cannot be based on race or ethnicity. Period. pic.twitter.com/RHh7ZnZyxs
— 🇹🇼陳冠廷 Kuan-Ting Chen (@kuantingvision) March 4, 2024
In a video released on X, legislator Chen Kuan-ting of the Democratic Progressive Party “strongly condemned” Hsu’s remarks, contending that racial and skin color should not be considerations when hiring migrant laborers.
“Taiwanese Ministries Issue Apologies Over Controversial Remarks on Indian Labor Hiring”
The Labor Ministry expressed regret for Hsu’s ‘inaccurate’ remark in a statement released on Monday night, emphasizing that the remarks were not intended to be discriminatory.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also apologized in a statement on Tuesday, admitting that the stories about the intended hiring of Indian laborers were “not entirely appropriate.”
According to the statement, Taiwan has a vibrant civil society that values diversity and gives voice to a multitude of opinions.
Taiwan also values the friendship between the peoples of Taiwan and India and fully respects the rich and varied culture of India. In order to further elevate cooperation and partnership between Taiwan and India, it will spare no effort in promoting cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two nations,” it continued.
“Taiwanese Government Calls for Support in Strengthening Engagement with Indo-Pacific Partners”
The ministry added that it hoped Taiwanese citizens would back their nation’s initiatives to interact with the outside world and develop meaningful relationships with partners in the Indo-Pacific area.
“Taiwan government also hopes that the people of Taiwan will support the country’s efforts to engage with the world, further advance substantive interactions with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and thereby bolster reciprocal and mutually beneficial exchanges,” the statement said.
