Jiang Yi-huah, minister of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, made the remarks after a meeting of the Executive Yuan's special task force on human rights.

The discussion in the meeting focused on the progress on domestic implementation of two United Nations-sponsored human rights treaties -- the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Jiang said.

When President Ma Ying-jeou promulgated the two covenants May 14, he promised to bring all relevant domestic laws and statutes in line with the standards set forth in the two international treaties, within two years.

During Wednesday's meeting, Premier Liu was quoted as having said that the current regulations that criminalize prostitution and punish prostitutes should be amended in line with the principle of "exempting prostitutes from any penalties." "As to whether a special district should be demarcated for the sex trade, the premier said it would be up to the local governments," Jiang told a post-meeting news conference.

Instead of putting the issue to a referendum, Jiang said, city/county councils and governments should decide on their own whether a special zone should be designated for sex trade in their administrative areas.

At the meeting, the premier also directed the Ministry of the Interior come up with a draft package of regulations on the management of sex workers and other ancillary matters within six months to pave the way for the decriminalization of prostitution.

Once the Interior Ministry completes those preparatory steps, Liu said, work should get started on amending the current statute that holds prostitutes liable to penalties.

Before the existing regulations are scrapped, the Executive Yuan will ask the Judicial Yuan to suggest that local courts fine prostitutes instead of detaining them, the premier said.

Liu also ordered the Interior Ministry not to include arrests for prostitution in the criteria for evaluating the performance of police officers.

"This will help to ensure that the police only arrest prostitutes under 'unavoidable circumstances,'" Jiang explained.

(By Sofia Wu)