[08.11.07 BBC] 台湾的家庭自杀呈增长趋势
【原文标题】Family suicides on rise in Taiwan【中文标题】台湾的家庭自杀呈增长趋势
【登载媒体】BBC
【来源地址】http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7714169.stm
【译者】荡漾
【声明】本翻译供Anti-CNN使用，转载请注明译者及链接，谢谢！
【原文】(by Cindy Sui)
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45183000/jpg/_45183441_child226.jpg
Five-year-old Ho Hung-an's parents loved him.
They bought him little plastic cartoon toys even though they were both unemployed and behind in paying rent.
But in June, they took his life and their own by burning charcoal in their sealed apartment, causing them all to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Such shocking cases in which parents not only take their own lives, but those of their children, are on the rise in Taiwan, which already has one the highest suicide rates in Asia.
Experts who have studied the trend said most parents acted out of a deluded sense that it was better to spare their children the misery of living without anyone to take care of them.
"These cases are rare in the United States or Europe. They treat their kids as independent individuals," said Pan Yi-ju, a psychiatrist and researcher at the Taiwan Department of Health's Suicide Prevention Centre.
"When they want to kill themselves, they don't necessarily take their kids," she added.
"In eastern cultures, these cases are more frequent."
In the first 10 months of this year, there were 31 cases of attempted or successful murder-suicides involving child victims, a four-year high, according to the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF), a non-governmental organisation.
It compiled the statistics from government data and media reports.
Nineteen children have been killed in this way so far this year, the same figure as for the whole of 2007.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45183000/jpg/_45183390_8cd07091-0262-4715-8aa5-f5c9e9835c2b.jpg
Financial woes
Social workers attribute the rise mainly to financial problems.
"In the suicide notes and police reports we study, most of the parents suffered some kind of financial pressure, including business failures, job losses and large debts," said Harold Li, the Foundation's chief coordinator of research and development.
The situation could deteriorate, he said, as Taiwan's already struggling economy begins to feel further pressure from the global financial crisis.
The unemployment rate in September hit a four-year high, while exports declined for the first time in years.
A large number of small or middle-sized enterprises have already shut down and economic indicators suggest the island is headed toward a recession.
"If the economic situation doesn't improve, these cases can become worse. So we're quite worried," said Li.
Suicide by burning charcoal in a closed room is the most common method used by despairing parents.
It is considered easier than other suicide methods and allows the family to die at the same time.
To ensure their children die, some parents strangle them while they are asleep before lighting the charcoal.
Others give the youngsters sleeping pills or put rat poison in their food.
Some perpetrators have been grandparents, struggling to cope with abandoned grandchildren they are unable to care for. One slit her grandchild's wrist.
Parents who choose to end their child's life often also suffer from emotional problems such as depression, and tend to be socially isolated, making it more difficult for them to get help.
Others do not want to burden their relatives with raising their children.
Cultural factors are also behind the disturbing trend, experts said.
"In Asian culture, parents think their children are their property. They think parents have the right to determine a child's life," said Mr Li.
"They think it's an act of goodwill. They don't believe anyone in this world will take care of their children. They lack trust in relatives, government or social agencies," he added.
In western countries, children are more commonly murdered in violent, revenge attacks against a spouse or an ex-partner.
In Taiwan, 42% of child murder-suicide cases this year involved both parents.
Statistics on such incidents are hard to come by as murder-suicides involving children are often not separated from general suicide figures, according to Ms Pan.
But she said it is clear the trend has been rising in Taiwan in the past decade, due in part to increasing knowledge about charcoal-burning suicide.
Public campaign
Shame also keeps parents from seeking financial or medical assistance.
"Usually the trigger is a tuition bill or late rent notice, which seem like a small matter, but in their despondent state, they don't believe anyone would help them," said Peng Yu-wen, a social worker with the CWLF who counsels parents and children who survive suicide attempts.
The CWLF has begun a campaign inviting the public to come up with ideas to reduce the alarming rise in suicides.
Social workers have also appealed to the government to address the issue.
And they have also called on all members of society to look out for those among them who could be at risk and not be afraid to help them.
At-risk children are also taught how to protect themselves.
"We teach them to spot signs, such as mum saying things like, 'I want to take you away with me'. We tell the kids to seek out a teacher, relative, friend of their parent or neighbour they can go to for help," said Ms Peng.
In the case of five-year-old Ho, no-one was there to help.
His parents, who sold arts and crafts trinkets on the street, had borrowed money from relatives in the past, but found they were unable to do so anymore, said Hsiao Yu-hsi, a police officer who, along with the landlady, discovered the family at the scene.
"They only had NT$1,000 in their home, and no money in their bank account," said Mr Hsiao.
"They could have qualified for welfare but for some reason they didn't apply."
【译文】
五岁的Ho Hung-an父母爱他
即使他们都失业了还付不出房租仍然给他买了小的塑料卡通玩具。
不过到了六月他们在密闭的公寓里烧炭，导致一氧化碳中毒，他们自己连带孩子的命都没了。
这种父母不仅自己选择自杀还带走孩子生命的令人震惊的自杀事件在台湾呈增长趋势，已成为亚洲自杀率最高的方式之一。
对此趋势进行研究的专家称这种情况下的大多数父母都有一种迷惑感，认为带着孩子一起去过神秘未知的生活要好过将孩子留下孤零零一个没人照顾。
台湾卫生署自杀预防中心的精神病专家兼研究员Pan Yi-ju说：“这样的案例在美国和欧洲很少见，他们将孩子视为独立的个体”。
她补充说：“当父母选择自杀，他们不必带上孩子”。
“而在东方文化中，这样的案例发生会更频繁”。
据非政府组织儿童福利联盟文教基金会（CWLF）称在今年前10个月内，有31起孩子作为牺牲品被卷入其中的企图或成功谋杀式自杀，达到四年来新高。
该组织统计了来自政府数据和媒体的相关报道。
今年来已有9名儿童因此死亡，与2007年全年数字持平。
财务困境
社会工作者将这种增长趋势归咎于财务问题。
CWLF基金会研究与发展中心的首席协调员Harold Li说：“根据我们对遗书和警方报告的研究，大多数父母身处包括投资失败、失业和负债过重的财务压力中”。
他表示随着全球金融危机的蔓延台湾的经济也感受到更大的压力，（父母财务危机）的情况可能会恶化。
九月的失业率亦创了四年来新高，而出口数年来首次出现下滑。
大量中小企业已经关闭，经济指标显示台湾岛经济面临困境。
Li说：“如果经济形势不好转，类似案例还会再度发生，因此我们很担忧”。
在密闭的房间里烧炭自杀是绝望的父母采取的最为普遍的方法。
他们认为这比起其他自杀方法要容易些，能使整个家庭同时死亡。
为了确保孩子死亡，有些父母会在点燃木炭前扼死在睡梦中的孩子。
还有些父母会让青少年孩子服用安眠药或在孩子的食物里下老鼠药。
有些案例是则祖父母苦于无法照顾被丢给他们的孙辈而作案，有位祖母割开了孙子的手腕。
选择结束孩子生命的父母通常还面对例如抑郁症的情绪问题，而且往往在社会关系上比较孤僻，使得他们很难得到帮助。
还有些父母不想把养育子女的负担丢给亲戚。
专家认为在令人不安的趋势背后存在文化影响。
Li先生说：“亚洲文化中父母认为孩子是他们的财富，他们认为父母有权决定孩子的生命”。
“他们认为这是一种善意的行为。他们不相信在世界上有人能照顾他们的孩子。他们缺乏对亲戚、政府或社会组织的信任”。
在西方国家儿童更经常是在针对配偶或前任伴侣的暴力、报复性攻击中死亡。
今年台湾自杀式的儿童谋杀案中42%是双亲参与。
Pan女士表示儿童卷入的自杀式谋杀通常很难和一般自杀在数字上区别开来，因此很难做统计。
但她说最近十年来台湾类似案件很明显是呈增长趋势，部分原因在于人们对木炭燃烧自杀日益了解。
公众宣传
父母还会因为羞愧心理而不寻求财务或医疗援助。
和CWLF基金会一起致力于说服有自杀企图的父母和孩子放弃轻生念头的社会工作者Peng Yu-wen说：“通常引发自杀的就是一张学费账单或是房租催单，看起来不过是件小事，但父母在沮丧的情绪状态下不相信有人会伸出援手”。
CWLF基金会已经开始行动，邀请公众为减少令人震惊的不断增加的自杀事件出谋划策。
社会工作者们也已为此向政府发出呼吁。
他们还呼吁社会公众留心身边可能身处危险的人并要勇敢去帮助他们。
他们还教儿童在身处危险的时候如何保护自己。
Peng女士说：“我们教孩子们如何识别危险，例如妈妈说起类似的话‘我想带你和我一起走’。我们告诉孩子们要向老师、亲戚、父母的朋友或邻居任何能帮助到他们的人求救”。
在五岁的Ho Hung-an的案件中，当时没有人可求救。
和女房东一起到达死亡现场的警员Hsiao Yu-hsi说Ho Hung-an的父母在街上卖艺术品和手工艺品，过去一直向亲戚们借钱但发现再也借不到了。
Hsiao先生说：“他们家里只有1000块（33美元），银行账户里一分钱也没有”。
“他们原本可以申请福利金但不知出于什么原因他们并没有申请”。
【截图】
[08.11.08联合早报] 台湾政治史上最不可理喻的一场街头流血
【原文标题】台湾政治史上最不可理喻的一场街头流血【登载媒体】联合早报【来源地址】http://www.zaobao.com/special/newspapers/2008/11/taiwan081108d.shtml （联合早报网讯）台湾联合报社论指出，二个月前，我们即曾预言，陈云林来台，将使民进党因权力及路线内斗，而倒退成一个彻底的台独暴力党，如今此言已经应验；国人也已亲眼目睹，蔡英文及民进党亲手挖了一个坑往里跳。
接连两天，晶华暴力，围城流血，这是台湾政治史上最严重的流血暴力事件之一，更是台湾政治史上最不可理喻的一场流血暴力事件。 为何流血？为谁流血？民进党说，是为抗议江陈会。但是：一、为了抗议四大协议而流血吗？但四大协议却是民进党政府动土兴工，国民党政府剪彩而已。二、为了抗议掏空主权而流血吗？但此次江陈会包括马总统的表现，容或未在主权层次的两岸互动上较现状争取更多，却非但并无削减，反而略有进益，如会见时宣唱“总统莅临”等。自始至终，民进党皆是以“台湾国”的虚拟标准，来评量江陈会；彷佛只要不能实现“一边一国”的“台湾国”，即认系出卖主权，但民进党总应先建一个“台湾国”给大家看看吧？ 政治史上没有一次街头**像此次这般不可理喻。解严前后常见街头**，当年的运动论述甚具正当性，政府体制则不具正当性，执勤宪警又不具公信力；于是，例如在主张解严或国会全面改选的街头运动中，即使出现流血暴力，仍可获得相当程度的社会理解及支持。但是，今夕何夕，为何流血？为谁流血？ 就政治诉求言，民进党是用“台湾国”的标准来评价江陈会。但民进党毕竟是曾经执政八年的政党，在其执政时期，“正名制宪”、“一边一国”、“台湾国”的政策不是未曾推动过；二○○八民进党败选下台的主因之一，也是缘于“台湾国”的两岸政策被选民否弃所致。如果民进党连以选票赢得八年执政亦不可能实现“台湾国”，下台后难道想用街头流血来建造台湾国？ 民进党所持“台湾主体性”的核心思维，对台湾的政治发展深有贡献；但若欲推进深化至“台湾国”的地步，则已被国际架构所否定，亦被选民用选票所否弃。在台湾的政治辩证中，“台湾国”的道德性及现实可行性，皆已受到多数国人质疑并否弃；但民进党如今却仍以“台湾国”为最高的道德准据，彷佛只要楬櫫“一边一国”、“台湾国”的大旗，即可恣意阻挠民选政府依法行政下的两岸谈判，即可撂倒张铭清、围堵陈云林、向胡志强吐口水，霸占酒店大厅、任意强占马路，把警察、记者打到头破血流；民进党既无以“台湾国”来感动说服国人的能力，亦无节制“台湾国”的支持者在街头逞暴流血的能力，遂演成了这一场台湾政治史上最不可理喻的街头流血暴力事件。 民进党应当给“台湾国”一个合乎比例的评价与定位。如前所述，“台湾国”是一个经由民进党八年执政试探过的“潜政策”，亦是一个经由国会及总统选举之民意所检验及淘汰过的政策。民进党若再用“台湾国”来挑唆街头流血，这是道德上不应该；或想用街头流血来鼓吹“台湾国”，现实上亦是不可能得逞。 民进党的根本问题在“台湾国”。当这个虚拟的国度成为至高无上的政治价值，便导致下列荒谬现象：贪腐的陈水扁是不能切割的，因为他主张台湾国；在街头发动暴力流血也是正当的，因为要推倡台湾国；江陈会则更是必须批判的，因为它违反了“台湾国”的原理原则……。倘若蔡英文所谓的“重返街头”，就是指将永远在“中华民国”的土地上，为“台湾国”而发动不断的暴力流血；则民进党绝无出路，台湾亦必无生路。 然而，民进党如今却病弱到除了“台湾国”已无其他政治引擎的地步。五天来的暴力流血冲撞，民进党其实主要不在抗议江陈会，而是一方面怕“台湾国”的支持者流失，另一方面又被“台湾国”的支持者挟持所致。民进党竟是为了凝聚内部而流血，而非为江陈会而流血。 但是：民进党若要其支持者继续为“台湾国”而流血，血将白流；民进党若要警察继续因“台湾国”而流血，更若要台湾社会继续因“台湾国”而撕裂流血，尤其不可理喻。 才知道丫
我早知道了
好多家庭整个一起烧炭自杀的
蛮可怜的
台湾只要有民进党在一天就不会有好日子
是非不分
没有社会责任心
像陈江会蔡英文竟然指责马英九是暴君
这个国际玩笑也开得太大了
[ 本帖最后由 ★木兰花★ 于 2008-11-8 23:39 编辑 ] 有一点我不能认同
自杀的人连孩子都杀这不是中华文化
请不必连这种问题都拿来做借口鄙视中华文化
况且文章借鉴的是“民主自由”的台湾
而台湾是日本化美国化的民主自由的
恰恰是因为西化才会有这种案例
否则 同样秉承中华文化的中国怎么没有大量类似的案件？
反正我是没听说过
我只是知道美国有N多这种案例
不管是因为经济问题也好 仇杀报复也好
都是先杀死全家然后自己饮弹而亡的
中国人的观念里是那么爱自己的孩子
恨不得心都掏给孩子 怎么会剥夺孩子的生存权？
中国是有很多弃婴的案例
但是没听说多少杀婴的
同样的 就算是想自杀的人
也会先离婚啊什么的尽量不拖累家人和孩子的情况下才自杀的
至于像台湾那么自由民主的地方
有如此的行为就不在中华文化的理解范围以内了
最反感这种文章
把社会问题拿来说事
翻过来掉过去的污蔑中华文化
BS之 读来唏嘘，不知该作何评论。善良孩童正如花朵幼骨，以父母之主观意愿擅自加以剥夺和主宰，情何以堪？！落后的社会义工体系与心理体系，望早成熟。 Q67) 9494,同意4楼的
话说台湾之前一直是在日本的XX下生活着
好多台湾老人还都会说日文呢
怎么说也不会是中华那什么啊
应该说是学日本的
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