On the ninth anniversary of the Koo-Wang talks (辜汪會談), the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) yesterday inaugurated a hotline for people from Taiwan to call in case of any emergency in China.
SEF Secretary-General Shi Hwei-yow (
With the increasing exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, Shi stressed that problems are growing as well.
"The establishment of the emergency line is necessary to provide the public convenient and effective services," he said.
According to figures released by SEF, the organization received 158 reports last year and 55 cases between January and March this year of accidents and other incidents in China.
The telephone hotline offers help to people dealing with serious illness, kidnapping, detention, missing persons, document loss and other incidents. People can call (886)-2-2712-9292 to ask for help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday also showed her support for the hotline, saying that if the public can contact the SEF or MAC soon after encountering emergencies in China, they can gain more assistance to ensure their safety.
According to Shi, one reason for setting up the line was the case of three Taiwanese women detained in Xiamen, Fujian Province, since Feb. 1 on charges of illegally entering China.
The three were reported to have been released and returned to Matsu yesterday.
However, detention of ROC citizens by Chinese police is an ongoing problem.
Shi reported that there are still three Taiwanese men detained in the town of Ningte, Fujian Province, who are charged with "fake marriage."
According to Shi, Chinese police arrested the three single men after they completed the necessary procedures to legally marry their Chinese wives.
The three were charged with taking part in a "fake marriage" and were fined between 50,000 yuan (US$6,400) and 100,000 yuan. However, the police did not release the three after they paid the fine.
Among the trio, one has been in detention since December, while the other two were detained on Feb. 26.
Shi said SEF has been trying to help these men gain their release.
Shi also said that they suspect police in Ningte might be detaining Taiwanese to extort money.
"Since last year, 19 Taiwanese men have been detained in the city for the same reason" he said. "And the Chinese police never have detained Taiwanese for this reason before last year."
The 16 other people detained were released and returned to Taiwan after paying a fine and serving a short period in custody.
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