Frida Tsai Explained

Frida Tsai
Native Name Lang:zh-tw
Honorific-Suffix:MLY
Smallimage:蔡培慧委員.jpg
Office1:Member of the Legislative Yuan
Constituency1:Nantou II
Term Start1:13 March 2023
Term End1:31 January 2024
Predecessor1:Hsu Shu-hua
Successor1:Yu Hao
Constituency2:Party-list (Democratic Progressive Party)
Term Start2:1 February 2016
Term End2:31 January 2020
Birth Date:2 September 1971
Birth Place:Yuchi, Nantou, Taiwan
Nationality:Taiwanese
Alma Mater:National Taiwan University
Occupation:politician

Frida Tsai (; born 2 September 1971) is a Taiwanese activist and politician. She served in the Legislative Yuan from 2016 to 2020, contested the Nantou County magistracy later that year, and in 2023, was reelected to the Legislative Yuan. She lost election the following year to Yu Hao.

Early life

Tsai was born on 2 September 1971 and raised in Yuchi, Nantou by her grandparents.[1] [2] As a teen, she moved to Taipei to live with her parents and later earned a Ph.D from National Taiwan University.[3] She then taught at Shih Hsin University.[4] [5]

Activism

Tsai is an active member of the Taiwan Rural Front, serving as the group's spokesperson.[6] [7] In this position, she was critical of the agricultural policies supported by the Ma Ying-jeou administration,[8] [9] describing the Land Expropriation Act in particular as "a tool for land developers and speculators."[10] Tsai has led multiple protests as part of her advocacy for farmers' rights.[11] [12] In 2013, she mobilized a few hundred people to occupy the Executive Yuan, after the Miaoli County Government announced that it would repurpose land belonging to four families in Zhunan Township.[13] [14] After the Sunflower Student Movement of April 2014, Tsai cofounded the Taiwan Citizen Union and with protest organizers.[15] [16]

Political career

In November 2015, the Democratic Progressive Party announced that Tsai had been placed on its party list for the January 2016 legislative elections.[17] She was subsequently elected to the Legislative Yuan via proportional representation.[18] In June, Tsai was invited to participate in a tribunal called to review cases under the purview of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.[19] [20] During her legislative tenure, Tsai proposed amendments to the Animal Protection Act that require permits to be issued before animals can perform in public.[21] She has also cosponsored an amendment to the Housing Act differentiating between property and residency rights.[22] Tsai became founding leader of the Taiwan-Italy Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association within the Legislative Yuan in December 2016.[23] Tsai faced Ma Wen-chun in Nantou County's second district during the 2020 legislative elections.[24] Tsai was nominated Democratic Progressive Party candidate for the Nantou County magistracy during the 2022 local election cycle.[25] [26] After losing the election to Hsu Shu-hua,[27] Tsai was a candidate for the by-election to fill Hsu's legislative seat.[28] Tsai narrowly defeated former magistrate Lin Ming-chen,[29] [30] becoming the first DPP legislator to serve the Nantou II constituency.[31]

She lost the 2024 Taiwanese legislative election to Kuomintang candidate Yu Hao.[32]

Political stances

Due to public health concerns, Tsai supports limits on the amount of genetically modified food allowed to enter the Taiwanese market,[33] stating that imported soybeans specifically should be graded and labeled before distribution and use.[34] Tsai also backed an increase in government funding for plant breeding research.[35]

Notes and References

  1. News: Ho. Yi. A country child returns home. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 1 October 2013.
  2. News: 2號 蔡培慧 . 14 September 2022 . Liberty Times . zh.
  3. News: Tsai Pei-hui (9). 17 July 2017. Legislative Yuan.
  4. News: Lee. I-chia. After nine hours, still no verdict on Kuokuang's EIA. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 22 April 2011.
  5. News: Chung. Li-hua. Taiwan's ageing farmers struggle to earn a living. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 10 April 2011.
  6. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Farmers protest forced land grab. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 17 July 2010.
  7. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Siangsihliao farmers win land reprieve. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 31 July 2010.
  8. News: Chung. Li-hua. Agricultural incomes reach lowest in five years: DGBAS report. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 6 September 2011.
  9. News: Hung. Su-ching. Huang. Yi-ching. COA staff say it is 'unreasonable' for them to monitor TV. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 1 July 2012.
  10. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Farming activists say Wu 'insincere'. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 14 July 2011.
  11. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Farmers, activists protest against globalization. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 4 February 2013.
  12. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Miaoli activists protest against arrests. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 15 September 2013.
  13. News: Wang. Chris. Protesters occupy government building. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 20 August 2013.
  14. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Dapu protesters, police clash, as Wu calls a halt. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 5 July 2013.
  15. News: Loa. Iok-sin. Taiwan Citizen Union is approved. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 10 July 2014.
  16. News: Wang. Chris. Sunflower leaders to form new activist organization. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 19 May 2014.
  17. News: Loa. Iok-sin. List of candidates demonstrates DPP ready to lead: Wu. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 12 November 2015.
  18. News: Chang. Hsiao-ti. DPP threatens to boycott disputed bills. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 1 February 2016.
  19. News: Gerber. Abraham. Activists plan housing tribunal. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 30 June 2016.
  20. News: Gerber. Abraham. Civil rights groups host international tribunal on eviction. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 3 July 2016.
  21. News: Yu. Chao-fu. Chen. Yu-fu. Lee. Li-fa. Chung. Jake. Dog and cat meat diners should face fines: lawmaker. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 2 June 2016.
  22. News: Gerber. Abraham. Rights advocates call for Housing Act amendment. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 20 October 2016.
  23. News: Pan. Jason. Lawmaker touts Italian trade at association launch. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 10 December 2016.
  24. News: Kuan . Rui-ping . Hsiao . Po-yang . Chiang . Yi-ching . Wu . Che-hao . Yeh . Joseph . 2020 Elections: Tight races seen in Miaoli, Nantou, Yunlin, Changhua . 1 December 2019 . Central News Agency . 1 December 2019.
  25. News: Pan . Jason . DPP local candidates praise virtues of 'Women Power' . 14 September 2022 . Taipei Times . 9 September 2022.
  26. News: Lin . Sean . Hsiao . Po-yang . Taiwan slams barring of beauty queen from Malaysia tech event stage . Central News Agency . 14 September 2022.
  27. News: Lo . James . ELECTIONS 2022/KMT's Hsu Shu-hua claims victory in Nantou County magistrate race . 27 December 2022 . Central News Agency . 26 November 2022.
  28. News: Chen . Chun-hua . Kao . Evelyn . By-election for Nantou legislative seat scheduled for March 4 . 26 December 2022 . Central News Agency . 26 December 2022. Republished as: News: By-election for Hsu's Nantou seat set for March 4 . 27 December 2022 . Taipei Times . 27 December 2022.
  29. News: Pan . Jason . DPP's Tsai Pei-hui narrowly wins Nantou by-election . 13 March 2023 . Taipei Times . 5 March 2023.
  30. News: Liu . Kay . Legislative by-election in Nantou County . Central News Agency . 4 March 2023.
  31. News: Hsiao . Po-yang . Shih . Hsiu-chuan . DPP's Tsai Pei-hui narrowly wins Nantou legislative by-election . 13 March 2023 . Central News Agency . 3 March 2023 . It also marked the DPP's first win of a legislative seat in the traditional KMT stronghold of Nantou County since Taiwan's legislative elections were first held under a single-seat district system in 2008..
  32. Web site: 高嘉瑜蘇治芬等12區域立委連任失利 羅明才8連霸、林岱樺7連勝 | 政治 . 14 January 2024 .
  33. News: Chen. Wei-han. Group protests use of GM beans. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 19 May 2016.
  34. News: Lee. I-chia. Calls for stricter soybean classification. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 25 October 2016.
  35. News: Shan. Shelley. Increase plant-breeding budget, lawmaker says. 17 July 2017. Taipei Times. 19 October 2016.

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