A Taiwanese diplomat has been found dead in the Dominican Republic in an apparent case of murder, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
The victim was identified as 55-year-old Julia Ou (區美珍), a secretary involved in overseas compatriot affairs who had served in the Caribbean nation for more than a year, said Wu Chin-mu (吳進木), director-
general of the Department of Central and South American Affairs.
She was found stabbed to death at her home in Santo Domingo on Tuesday, Wu said.
A member of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation — one of Taiwan’s biggest charities — Ou was described by her colleagues as a philanthropist who often helped the needy, Wu said.
Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Morales Troncoso called Ambassador Thomas Hou (侯平福) to express his concern, Wu said, and Hou requested the help of Dominican police to investigate Ou’s death.
The ministry will arrange for Ou’s family members to travel to the Caribbean nation to deal with the aftermath of her passing, he added.
When asked about the matter at a legislative hearing, Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission Minister Wu Ying-yih (吳英毅) said he visited Ou’s family soon after he was informed of her death at 1:15am yesterday.
Wu said he was told that Ou was working overtime and had been in her office until 10pm the night before she was found dead.
When Ou did not show up for work the following day and she did not answer calls, Hou went to her home with local police and found the door to her home open. Her room appeared to have been ransacked, leading to suspicions that she might have been killed by a burglar who followed her home, Wu said.
Ou Ming-te (區明德), the elder brother of the victim, said the family was “very shocked” at the news of her death.
He said his sister had always worked hard and was usually busy on the job.
He said they used to talk on the phone a lot when she was posted in Guatemala, but the calls became less frequent when she was transferred to the Dominican Republic.
His sister had planned to stay in the Dominican Republic for another three years and then retire and return to Taiwan to keep her elderly mother company, he added.
“But we won’t see her coming home ever again,” he said.
The brother said he would make a trip to the Dominican Republic to handle his sister’s affairs.
According to information from the commission, Julia Ou joined the organization in 1987 and was first dispatched overseas in 2000, when she was assigned to Guatemala.
Commission officials said the agency would help the bereaved family apply for survivors’ benefits and compensation, as Julia Ou’s death occurred in the line of duty.
The commission would also recommend her for a posthumous medal of honor, they said.
DETERRENCE: With 1,000 indigenous Hsiung Feng II and III missiles and 400 Harpoon missiles, the nation would boast the highest anti-ship missile density in the world With Taiwan wrapping up mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles by December and an influx of Harpoon missiles from the US, Taiwan would have the highest density of anti-ship missiles in the world, a source said yesterday. Taiwan is to wrap up mass production of the indigenous anti-ship missiles by the end of year, as the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has been meeting production targets ahead of schedule, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said. Combined with the 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles Taiwan expects to receive from the US by 2028, the nation would have
North Korea yesterday fired about 10 ballistic missiles to the sea toward Japan, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, days after Pyongyang warned of “terrible consequences” over ongoing South Korea-US military drills. Pyongyang recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, Washington’s security ally, describing its latest peace efforts as a “clumsy, deceptive farce.” Seoul’s military detected “around 10 ballistic missiles launched from the Sunan area in North Korea toward the East Sea [Sea of Japan] at around 1:20pm,” JCS said in a statement, referring to South Korea’s name for the body of water. The missiles
North Korea tested nuclear-capable rocket launchers, state media reported yesterday, a day after Seoul detected the launch of about 10 ballistic missiles. The test comes after South Korean and US forces launched their springtime military drills, due to run until Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday oversaw the testing of the multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The test involved 12 600mm-caliber ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers and two artillery companies, it said. Kim said the drill gave Pyongyang’s enemies, within the 420km striking range, a sense of “uneasiness” and “a deep understanding
‘UNWAVERING FRIENDSHIP’: A representative of a Japanese group that co-organized a memorial, said he hopes Japanese never forget Taiwan’s kindness President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, urging continued cooperation between Taiwan and Japan on disaster prevention and humanitarian assistance. Lai wrote on social media that Taiwan and Japan have always helped each other in the aftermath of major disasters. The magnitude 9 earthquake struck northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering a massive tsunami that claimed more than 19,000 lives, according to data from Japanese authorities. Following the disaster, Taiwan donated more than US$240 million in aid, making it one of the largest contributors of financial assistance to Japan. In addition to cash donations and
RSS