20,000 Indonesians celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Taipei

Taipei, March 31 (CNA) About 20,000 Indonesian worshippers braved the rain and gathered at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall to participate in the Eid prayer on Eid al-Fitr Monday.

The event, jointly held by the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (IETO) to Taipei and Nahdlatul Ulama Taiwan, celebrated a "day of victory" for Muslims who completed a full month of fasting during Ramadan from Feb. 28 to March 29.

Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) attended the event and gave a speech thanking Indonesian workers for contributing to Taiwan's economy and society.

Taiwan owes much of its economic growth to migrant workers, a large proportion of whom are from Indonesia, Hung said.

Of the more than 800,000 migrant workers in the country, over 300,000 are Indonesians, he said.

Of that number, more than 190,000 are domestic caregivers, who make up about 80 percent of all migrant caregivers in Taiwan, Hung noted, thanking Indonesians for taking care of Taiwanese families.

"The Ministry of Labor (MOL) will continue striving to improve your working conditions, including worker rights and income. We will work toward incremental improvements," Hung told the gathered crowd.

Referencing the occasion, Hung said: "Beyond labor policies, religion and culture are also crucial to improving relations between two countries and between employers and employees."

"The MOL will continue working to ensure employers in Taiwan understand this, so that employer-employee relationships between Taiwanese and Indonesians are even more harmonious," Hung said.

The event drew more than 20,000 participants, according to an IETO estimate.

Indonesia's Representative to Taiwan Arif Sulistiyo said IETO held 30 Eid prayers across Taiwan on Monday.

More than 100 Indonesians later took part in an "open house" event at IETO's headquarters in Taipei's Neihu District, where they feasted and greeted one another.

The event allowed Indonesians in Taiwan who were unable to return home on Eid al-Fitr to strengthen relationships, especially those who do not usually have time to meet, Arif told CNA.