A woman derided as a “foreign bride” after her
cash-strapped Cambodian family married her off through a broker is set to make
history at Taiwan’s elections next week.
Lin
Li-chan is running for lawmaker in the parliamentary vote -- held alongside the
presidential election -- and is expected to win, making her the island's first
"new immigrant" legislator.
The term
refers to those who came to Taiwan after the first wave of migration from China
post-1949, when the island split from the mainland following a civil war.
"I
had never thought about going into politics. In Cambodia, democracy was not a
familiar concept," Lin, told AFP.
"It's
unbelievable how life turns out."
Now 38
and a Taiwanese citizen, she was set up by her mother with a Taiwanese husband
via a profit-making brokerage at the age of 20.
She moved
from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to become one of Taiwan's tens of
thousands of immigrant spouses, mainly from Southeast Asia and China.
Their
vulnerability has been highlighted by abuse cases in recent years and Lin wants
to draw on her own experiences to improve that.
"My
father had passed away and my mother was struggling financially at that time.
She decided to marry me off and the relatives on my father's side were angry,
thinking she sold me to Taiwan," Lin said.
"'Foreign
brides' like us were labelled as products and looked down upon."
Unable to
speak a word of Chinese, Lin was wracked with homesickness but determined to
adapt.
She
picked up the language as she took care of her two children and helped at her
husband's small hardware factory.
But when
her children doubted she could help with homework because of her Chinese, Lin
decided to go to college.
She went
on to university and a master's degree before becoming an award-winning
campaigner for new immigrants.
"I
took my graduation robe to Cambodia when I went back to sweep my parents'
graves and tell them the good news, and I cried," Lin said.
- Signs
of progress -
There were
more than half a million foreign spouses in Taiwan in 2015, with many marriages
arranged by matchmaking brokerages.
Demand
for the service is partly driven because there are more men than women of
marrying age in Taiwan, and more Taiwanese women are delaying marriage until
later in life.
Taiwan
banned profit-making brokerages in 2009 and allows only government-authorised
organisations to provide international matchmaking.
The move
came after a string of high-profile abuse cases including one of a Taiwanese
man who enslaved and tortured his Vietnamese ex-wife for seven months. He was
jailed for just four-and-half years.
Campaigners
say the situation is improving and the term "foreign bride" is now
deemed derogatory. But discrimination remains.
"There
is still negative public perception that the women are bought and they come to
Taiwan to make or con money," said Hong Man-chi, a spokeswoman of
TransAsia Sisters Association, a support group for overseas spouses.
Some
employers offer low wages or demand they work overtime without pay, Hong says,
knowing they are unfamiliar with labour laws.
A number
of politicians have also been criticised for making derogatory public remarks
about the women.
"Lin's
nomination symbolises some progress," adds Lisa Huang, a spokeswoman for
Taiwan International Family Association.
"But
it remains to be seen whether hers is an isolated case of success or an overall
improvement."
Lin is
number four on the list of "at-large" candidates for the ruling
Kuomintang (KMT), seats allocated to a political party based on vote share.
At-large
candidates tend to be political novices with expertise in academia or social
advocacy.
With the
party expected to win around 10 such seats, she is almost guaranteed a place in
parliament.
Looking
back, Lin -- who is still with the husband she married at 20 -- says she does
not bear any animosity to her mother.
"I
was a naive young woman and I didn't think too much about it. I just obeyed my
mother's decision."
Now she
wants her experiences to make a difference.
"I
hope I can do more for new immigrants as a lawmaker," says Lin, who now
considers herself Taiwanese.
"I
think I have a mission to come to Taiwan... that a foreign woman who didn't
speak or read a word of Chinese can go this far. I think it's fated."
Amber
Wang
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
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