A special exhibition on the role and lives of migrant workers in Taiwan opened Wednesday at the National Human Rights Museum, highlighting some of the issues they face in the country and how they are perceived by others.

Through displays such as information boards, videos, photos and other items, the museum in New Taipei is focusing on the risks and labor rights issues that migrant workers encounter in the Taiwan, Deputy Minister of Culture Lee Ching-hwi (???) said at the opening ceremony.

The exhibition, which was structured with the help 15 non-governmental organizations that advocate for migrant workers’ rights, underlines the fact that migrants are part of the Taiwan family, Lee said.

With the presence of some 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, it is becoming a “new country,” Lee said, adding that she hopes the exhibition will give people a better understanding of the issues the workers face.

The displays include images of infrastructure projects in Taiwan that were built with migrant labor, videos of people relating their impressions of migrant workers, and information boards that highlight the roles of such workers in the everyday lives of Taiwanese.

At the opening ceremony, Shih Yi-hsiang (???), secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of Human Rights, encouraged visitors to the exhibition to think about how they can help improve the lives of migrant workers.

“Throughout Taiwan, there is an enormous display of oppression” of migrants, said Shih, citing several incidents that had occurred over the past year.

In one case, migrant crew members on a fishing boat were fined for not wearing face masks while showering at a port in Kaohsiung in May, said Shih, whose association helped plan the exhibition.

According to another NGO member Lin Chen-wei (???), one of the aims of the exhibition is to help create social harmony in Taiwan, where migrant workers have been part of life for the past 30 years.

The exhibition is being held at the museum in Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park until March 27, 2022 and is free of cost to all members of the public.

However, visitors need to make an appointment in advance, either online or by phone, in keeping with the current COVID-19 protocols, according to the museum.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel