Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (
It was regrettable and unacceptable for Hong Kong to treat Taiwanese with valid entry permits in such a way, he said.
Over the past week, hundreds of Taiwanese Falun Gong followers had planned to go to Hong Kong to participate in a demonstration held by the territory's democracy activists and launch protests against China's suppression of Falun Gong followers on the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the end of British rule in Hong Kong.
As of yesterday, about 300 Falun Gong followers who held legal travel documents had been expelled by Hong Kong airport police after their arrival in the territory.
The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has set the worst example of China's "one country, two systems," said Shieh, referring to China's promise that Hong Kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy after its takeover.
China is a country under a one-party-state dictatorship and it knows nothing about freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and free speech, Shieh said.
"Although it is named People's Republic of China, it is actually distant from the people," he said.
He also said that the incident should serve as a warning to those people who believe that each side of the Taiwan Strait can have its own interpretation of the "one China" principle and to people who support Taiwan's eventual unification with China.
"It should also make us cherish our freedom and democracy and defend our hard-earned values," Shieh said.
In other developments, Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Tung Chen-yuan (
"These people were brutally detained, questioned and expelled by Hong Kong authorities," Tung said.
"Taiwan has to issue the severest condemnation against such human rights violations by the Hong Kong authorities," he said.
The former British colony has suffered noticeable setbacks on economic and social fronts as well, he said.
The wealth gap in Hong Kong has grown since 1997, while social mobility has declined, Tung said.
At the same time, Hong Kong's judicial independence, human rights conditions and media freedom have also been impacted, he said.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
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