I-fan Lin
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Born, raised, and educated in Taiwan. I write about current Taiwan issues and events as well as the Taiwanese blogosphere.
Latest posts by I-fan Lin
19 April 2013
East Asia's Appetite for Eels Pushing Species to the Brink
During Japan's sweltering midsummer it's traditional to eat a plate of golden-brown broiled unagi kabayaki, or broiled eel. But the tradition is now at risk. Skyrocketing demand for glass eels, once considered a high-brow delicacy, is pushing Japanese fishermen to exhaust the population and causing prices to soar.
10 March 2013
Taiwan Denies Entry to Anti-Nuke Visitor Ahead of Protest
A German man who marched in an anti-nuclear protest two years ago in Taiwan was detained at Taiwan's international airport and denied entry [zh] into the country on March 8, 2013, a day before protesters planned to hold a large-scale anti-nuclear demonstration there.
11 February 2013
Taiwanese Writer Finds Poetry in Laid-off Workers’ Railway Protest
Laid-off factory workers facing a lawsuit from the Taiwanese government over unpaid debt protested February 5 by lying across the tracks at a Taipei train station, bring traffic to standstill. The demonstration inspired a Taiwanese writer-animator to create an illustration and a poem dedicated to the group.
6 January 2013
Taiwan's Nuclear-free New Year's Wish
The new year celebration was very special this year as popular singers, environmental and youth activists worked together to present a nuclear-free homeland as Taiwanese people's common wish for 2013.
15 December 2012
Campaign Against Pro-China Media Monopoly in Taiwan Turns Global
The Taiwanese government's lack of response to the street protests against the monopoly of a pro-China media group in the country, has triggered a series of online protests across the world.
12 November 2012
Laid-off Workers Turn from Victims to Debtors in Taiwan
Taiwan's Council of Labour Affairs (CLA), a government body in charge of protecting labour rights, wants to sue workers who were laid-off by private factories sixteen years ago. The council seeks money from the Legislative Yuan to bring legal action against more than 2,000 workers, who they say never returned the 'loan' the government offered as compensation for being laid off.
8 October 2012
Taiwan: Indigenous Amis Musical Performed at National Theater
Indigenous culture has become more and more important in the Taiwanese performing arts scene. The recent Amis musical, “La Michael”, has entered the National Theater, a primary national performing arts venue in Taiwan and a landmark at the center of the Taipei city.
23 August 2012
Taiwan: Corporate Lawsuit Threatens Academic Freedom
Dr. Ben-Jei Tsuang, an environmental engineer and professor, is the latest victim of a defamation lawsuit brought on by a big corporation, the Formosa Plastic Group, for his research. Dr. Tsuang's defense believes the lawsuit is 'intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense." Many legal experts suggest that Taiwan's current criminal defamation law is in violation of international covenants.
30 July 2012
Taiwan: Threat of Media Monopoly and Power Abuse
Taiwanese civil society is worried that the acquisition of cable TV services by Want Want China Times would result in political censorship, in particular on mainland China news. A recent staged scandal against a scholar leading the campaign against the acquisition has shown the public the devastating effect of media monopoly and abusive use of media power.
28 July 2012
East Asia: Flourishing Illegal Trade in ‘Captive Bred’ Exotic Birds
According to a July 2012 report from the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (TRAFFIC), many endangered birds that are sold as captive bred have actually been caught in the wild and smuggled out of their original habitats under cruel conditions. An ID registration scheme for captive bred parrots introduced in Taiwan enables clear identification of legally saleable birds to try and combat this problem.
I was given a harsher sentence here in America, Riverside County California by the new...