Job Discussion Forums

Mikhai · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 50 Location: South Korea

Hey I just read this [url=http://www.geocities.com/taiwanteacher2002/Success.htmlSSETT's Ten Steps to Success [/url] and I was wondering why it says stay out of Chaiyi, Hsin Chu and Taidong counties?

Pop Fly · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 429

Dr_Zoidberg · Posted: Tue May 16, 2006 11:21 am Post subject:

I can only comment on Chiayi. I don't know what's up with the other places.

Some years ago a female English teacher, depending with whom you speak,
either:

a) Killed herself

or

b) was mudered

Girl Scout · Joined: 13 Jan 2005 Posts: 525 Location: Inbetween worlds

Hsin-chu:

Three years (about) ago a group of expat were attacked at a bar. There were cut and beaten. The rumor was that this was a target attack by gang members.

One thing to remember, these are all isolated incidents Aristole is refering to and they all happened years ago. They in no way reflect the living conditions or safety of the average foriegner today.

clark.w.griswald · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2056

I tend to agree with the others in that the warnings are pretty much baseless as they regard individual incidents and are not indicative of systemic problems.

The Elizabeth Bretel incident in Jiayi is one of those things that is probably every parents worst nightmare. The jist that I get from the story is that she had a local boyfriend who was a known felon. She knew this and so did all of her friends. At some stage she decided to break up with him and he possibly did not like this. Her body was found at the foot of her building apparently having come off the roof. There was no evidence of foul play from what I can gather and although her friends have suggested that her ex-boyfriend was probably capable of doing her harm, I never saw any support from her friends that they believe that this is what happened. Aristotle, who quite possibly has never lived in Jiayi, decided that this was a good story to use to push his own anti-Taiwan agenda. To me this is disgraceful behavior as he has no facts to support his claims yet he seems to feel fit to run with innuendo and rumors for his own purposes.

The Xinzhu incident was discussed at detail on forums at the time. The basic story as I gather was that there were a group of foreigners in a bar that was known to be inhabited by �undesirables�. In the early hours of the morning and no doubt when everyone was tanked a fight broke out between two foreign guys and a group of locals. In usual cowardly style these local hoodlums far outnumbered the two foreigners and were not averse to using weapons even though the foreigners were not armed. Needless to say the foreigners got beaten pretty badly. This again is a terrible incident and should never have happened but it could easily have happened between locals just as it could have happened, and does happen, in bars all around the world. It is not a Taiwan only incident nor was it overtly racial from what I gather.

Taidong is on Aristotles hit list due to a police officer by the name of Peter Chen who apparently seems willing to deport foreigners who don�t tie the line. From what I have read on the subject there seems to be two groups of foreigners in that area � the legitimate foreigners carving out a life for themselves, and a group of more liberal �potheads�. From reports of foreigners who actually live there it seems that Peter Chen has no problem with the former but has a distinct dislike for the latter group. Once again Aristotle uses this information selectively for his own purposes which is his anti-Taiwan campaign of hate.

So the above are both terrible incidents, but they are not indicative of Taiwan�s treatment of foreigners nor are they representative of problems that warrant warnings. The SSET group is a group of one person who goes under the name of Aristotle. Do a search of his posts here and you will get an idea of what he is on about and then you can make a judgment for yourself as to whether you feel that his warnings are legit? Just ask yourself what actual information he brings to the table to support his claims.

SanChong · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 335

Is Taiwan a paradise where no one ever gets hurt or is in trouble? Of course not, and it is the real world.

However, I would say that Taiwan is MUCH safer for a Westerner than any major city in a Western country. I, for one, would feel much safer with my sister living in Taiwan than in Manhattan. It's not even close.

TaoyuanSteve · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 1028 Location: Taoyuan

Northwood · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 66

SanChong · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 335

TaoyuanSteve · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 1028 Location: Taoyuan

Northwood · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 66

Steve and San Chong, there seems no reason to question each other. Experience comes down to situation, luck, bad luck and perspective. Without facts and figures (which I for one cannot bothered to research) there is no right or wrong�..just opinion.

It also seems there are a few different arguments here.

1. Does Taiwan appear to be a safer place to live that your home country?
2. Do the Taiwanese police appear to be more effective in handling crime and how do they compare to your home country?
3. Do the Taiwanese courts appear to hand out adequate sentences and how do they compare to your home country?

This is my take:

1. So far, Taiwan has been a far safer place for me to live. I gave examples in my previous post.
2. I have never had to deal with the Taiwanese police. I have heard they can be incompetent, but I have no direct experience of this. If things stay as they, I have limited need for the police. Until something happens to really change my mind, I will stand my original point: I would prefer to live in a society where I feel safe but has a less active police service, than in a society where I feel threatened but has a more active police service.
3. Again, I have no idea about sentences and punishments in Taiwan. Back home (mainly the UK) I am aware of reports of a lack of enough prison cells. The authorities and public are losing heart because while criminals are being caught, their sentences are being downgraded to things like parole, when clearly they should have been locked up. Some of the criminals on parole continue to live a life of crime and this really angers just about everybody. Hardly a model system!

BTW - where is the mighty Aristotle nowadays?

Fortigurn · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 390

SanChong · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 335

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

SanChong wrote:

Mikhai · Joined: 20 Jan 2005 Posts: 50 Location: South Korea

Interesting. I am looking into maybe coming to Taiwan because I need a change from Korea. Its just become overly boring. Plus its just really hard to get anything imported and I have just had a little too much of laid back Korea. However I have read some really scarey things about Taiwan on here. Is it true that the government can and does confiscate foreigner's savings? Why are there so many deportations from Taiwan? I never hear about it in Korea or even on the Korean Job Boards.