Responding to the news that lawmakers in Taiwan have passed a law that will see the island become the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage, Annie Huang, Acting Director of Amnesty International Taiwan, said: “Taiwan has today made history in the fight for equality for LGBTI people. Love has won over hate, and equality has won over discrimination. This is a moment to cherish and celebrate, but it has been a long and arduous campaign for Taiwan to become the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. “We hope this landmark vote will generate waves across Asia and offer a much

Responding to the release of a draft law which will act as a legal basis for recognising same-sex marriage in Taiwan, Annie Huang, Amnesty International Taiwan’s Director, said: “This is a huge step forward for marriage equality in Taiwan. The draft law is the first of its kind in Asia to allow same-sex marriage. It sends a strong message to the Taiwanese people and the world that Taiwan chooses love over hate, and equality over discrimination. “We welcome the bill proposed by Taiwan’s Executive Yuan. It pursues the equal protection of the freedom of marriage for two persons of the same sex

The Taiwanese security forces must protect and respect human rights in any response to the hundreds of protestors that have occupied the nation’s parliament, Amnesty International said today.

Taiwan’s execution of six people today makes a mockery of the authorities’ stated commitment to abolish the death penalty, Amnesty International said. Zeng Si-ru, Hung Ming-tsung, Huang Hsien-cheng, Chen Chin-huo, Kuang Te-chiang and Tai Te-ying were executed earlier today at different locations across Taiwan. The executions by shooting are the first in the country this year. Five people were executed in 2011 and 55 people are awaiting execution and have exhausted all appeals. Roseann Rife, Head of East Asia at Amnesty International, said: “This is cold-blooded killing by the Taiwanese

Appeal to stop execution after justice minister backtracks over statements made to Amnesty International on death penalty. Amnesty International has today issued an urgent appeal against the imminent execution of a man in Taiwan after an order for his execution was reportedly signed by the Minister of Justice on 1 December. The Minister of Justice, Shih Mao-Lin, appears to have signed the execution order just weeks after sending a letter to Amnesty International in which he promised to “give serious thought to [Amnesty International's] suggestion not to carry out any executions over the coming