Overview
- An independent candidate in Kaohsiung put up a campaign billboard showing a prohibition sign over an inverted Indian flag and a turbaned man to oppose hiring workers from India.
- Lee Hung-yi defended the poster in comments to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, saying he supports migrant labor in general but claims the India plan lacks proper management rules.
- Indian-origin residents and local politicians called the imagery racist because it targets national symbols and a turban, which critics noted holds religious and cultural meaning.
- Taiwan’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India condemned the prejudice and said such comments do not represent Taiwan’s position, stressing support for values of inclusion and for ties with India.
- The dispute stems from a 2024 Taiwan–India labor agreement, with officials discussing an initial 2026 pilot of about 1,000 Indian workers pending administrative checks, even as some opposition lawmakers raise safety claims that experts say reflect election-season politics rather than mainstream views.