方恩格專欄》臺灣最美的風景是怎麼了？

臺北車站大廳9日下午發生通緝犯當衆性侵香港籍酒醉女遊客案件。（本報資料照片）

臺灣人常說：「臺灣最美的風景是人。」事實上，政府機關也常用這句話作爲宣傳標語。行政院陸委會曾製作一支影片，由一位嫁到臺灣的中國女子旁白，說臺灣最美的風景就是人。

然而，最近發生的幾件事情，讓我開始懷疑這句話是否仍然成立。

10月9日，在臺北車站裡，許多人走過時，一名男子竟在衆目睽睽之下強暴一名女子。根據媒體報導，整起事件持續約10分鐘，直到警方趕到現場。更令人震驚的是，警方之所以能到場，是因爲一名馬來西亞旅客報了案。在公共場所發生性侵，許多臺灣人路過，卻沒有人上前制止、甚至沒人報警？事後，網路上竟有人將案發影片上傳與轉傳，讓受害者的傷痛雪上加霜。

由於被害人是香港人，香港媒體也大篇幅報導此事，不僅中文媒體，連英文的《南華早報》也有報導。外媒如BBC也跟進報導。

毫無疑問，這起事件將影響外界對臺灣作爲旅遊目的地的安全印象。然而，陸委會發言人在事後的記者會上卻宣稱「臺灣比日本、韓國更安全」，這樣的說法實在不合時宜。此時並非批評他國治安的時刻。

當然，這類現象並非臺灣獨有。全球各大城市都有類似情況發生。如今許多人只顧低頭滑手機，對周遭發生的事毫無察覺；也有些人雖然看見犯罪現場，但怕「惹麻煩」，選擇匆匆離開、不願報警或出手相助。然而，這次事件中竟有這麼多人冷漠以對，仍令人難以置信。

另一件引發社會議論的事件，是長榮航空空服員的不幸離世。據媒體報導，該名空服員在飛行途中告訴主管身體不適。雖然主管否認在飛行期間及返抵臺灣後未表關心，但幾天後（10月10日）她仍在醫院中病逝。

更離譜的是，她去世後，長榮同事竟傳簡訊到她的手機，要求她「補交請假證明」。家屬回覆：「你們大概沒看新聞吧？」並附上死亡證明。長榮航空最終不得不爲對待員工的冷漠態度與這則令人難以置信的訊息公開道歉。

第三件事件發生在臺中朝陽科技大學。據報導，新學期開始後，一名弱勢學生提出退學申請，理由是想提早服兵役，之後工作以支撐家庭。然而，學校依規要求他繳交1萬8千元退學手續費（約相當於學期學費的1/3）。該學生因繳不起費用，於10月2日選擇自殺。學校事後解釋說，學生並未向校方反映經濟困難，雖然他上學期曾領取助學金。

學生過世後，校方通知家屬可「申請助學補助」，並表示將在葬禮上頒發「榮譽畢業證書」。其祖母悲痛迴應：「這不是在傷口上灑鹽嗎？人都走了，我們的心都碎了。」與長榮空服員事件如出一轍，事後才補發文件、補辦手續，凸顯出臺灣部分機構在面對悲劇時的冷漠與官僚。

上述三起事件並非唯一的社會亂象。日前臺北捷運「年輕人踢老婦」事件連續幾天登上新聞版面；新北市也傳出「路怒症」糾紛，一名男子竟向他人車輛丟擲爆竹。

這個常說「最美的風景是人」的地方，最近到底是怎麼了？

當然，也仍有許多令人感動的例子。例如「鏟子超人」們在樺加沙颱風侵襲後趕往花蓮協助清理災區，他們的善心行動正是臺灣最美的一面。

然而，整體而言，臺灣社會似乎正走到一個分岔口，社會撕裂嚴重。

英文裡有句話：「改變要從上而下」，若臺灣要重新凝聚，成爲2300萬人民都能安居的社會，關鍵人物就是現任總統賴清德。

但今年前8個月，社會被幾場大罷免撕裂。這些行動最終以失敗收場，但卻得到賴總統與民進黨的大力支持。

再過幾個月，2026年地方選舉的選戰季又將展開。身兼民進黨主席的賴總統，屆時勢必再次成爲高度政治化、對立化的象徵。因此，賴清德僅有這短短几個月的時間，可以嘗試彌補臺灣社會的裂痕。

他能否抓住機會，成爲改變的領導者？（作者爲美國共和黨前亞太區主任）

What Happened to Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Scenery?

By Ross Darrell Feingold

Former Asia Chairman, Republicans Abroad

X: @RossFeingold

Taiwan people often say that “Taiwan’s most beautiful scenery is its people”. In fact, government agencies have used this phrase in promotional videos too. The Mainland Affairs Council once published a video, narrated by a woman from China who married a man from Taiwan, who tells the audience that Taiwan’s most beautiful scenery is its people.

Several recent events have caused me to question whether this phrase is accurate.

On October 9, in the Taipei Train Station, numerous people walked by while a man raped a woman. According to media reports, the incident lasted approximately ten minutes, after which, the police finally arrived at the scene. In fact, police only arrived after a report was made by a Malaysian tourist.

A rape occurred in public, many Taiwan people walked by, and no one intervened to stop or called the police?

Subsequently, people on the Internet shared a video of the incident, adding more injury to the victim.

As the victim is from Hong Kong, media in Hong Kong also reported on the incident, both in Chinese media as well as in the English language South China Morning Post. Foreign media that reported this incident include the BBC.

Certainly, this incident will affect perceptions of Taiwan’s safety as a tourist destination. However, this author thought it inappropriate for the Mainland Affairs Council spokesman to say at a press conference that Taiwan is safer than Japan and Korea. The aftermath of this incident is not the time to make criticisms of the public safter situation in other countries.

This situation is not unique to Taiwan. Ignoring a crime occurs all over the world, especially in big cities. Nowadays, many people are staring at their phones and don’t even notice. Some people noticed the crime, but do not want to “get involved”, so they hurry away rather than call the police or try to stop the perpetrator. However, it was still surprising that such a large number of people ignored the crime.

A second incident in the media recently is the case of the EVA flight attendant who, during a flight, informed her supervisor that she was unwell. Despite accusations in the media, the supervisor denied that he showed no concern during the flight, or after the flight landed in Taiwan. However, days after she returned to Taiwan, on October 10 the flight attendant died in the hospital.

Even worse, after she died, a co-worker at EVA sent a text message to her phone, asking her to provide documentation for why she took leave. A family member replied with the comment “I guess you don’t read the news” and sent the death certificate. EVA had to apologize both for its treatment of the flight attendant, and for the unbelievable text message that the co-worker sent.

A third recent incident occurred at Chaoyang University of Technology in Taichung. From media reports, after the semester began, a low income student requested to withdraw from school. His reason for doing so was that he wanted to begin his military service as soon as possible and afterwards, begin to work so that he could support his family. However, the school insisted that he pay a NTD18,000 withdrawal fee (1/3 of the semester’s school fee) per applicable rules. As the student did not have enough money to pay this fee, he tragically chose instead to commit suicide on October 2. The school’s explanation is that the student did not inform the staff of his financial situation, even though he received financial aid in the previous semester.

After the student died, the school sent a notification that he can apply for financial aid, and also said it will present an honorary graduation diploma to his family at the funeral. His grandmother replied that this is “like rubbing salt in the wound, he’s gone, and our hearts are broken”.

Just like the EVA staff demanding documentation from the flight attendant after she died, the offer of a graduation diploma after the student died indicates that organizations in Taiwan need to improve how they deal with tragic situations.

The above three incidents are not the only recent examples of surprising behavior. The “kicking incident” on the Taipei MRT in which a young person kicked an older woman was big news for several days. A few days ago, media reported on a road rage incident in New Taipei City which resulted in one man throwing firecrackers at the other man’s car.

What has happened recently to the country that likes to say its most beautiful scenery is its people?

On the other hand, there are examples of positive behavior recently, most notably the “Shovel Superheroes” who rushed to Hualien to assist in the post disaster clean up following Typhoon Ragasa.

However, Taiwan seems to be at an inflection point. Society is heavily divided.

English has a phrase, “change begins at the top”. If Taiwan society is to become more unified, and to become a better place for all its over 23,000,000 inhabitants, the key man for this to happen is President William Lai.

However, the first eight months of this year society was divided by the legislator recall elections, which were a failure, but heavily supported by President Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party.

A few months from now, the campaign season will begin for the November 2026 local election. As DPP chairman, President Lai will, understandably, once again become a very partisan figure.

That leaves President Lai a short window of a few months to help unify some of the wounds in Taiwan society. Will President Lai rise to the occasion?