A decision by the Cabinet to lift a detention order for two crew members of the Greek-registered MV Amorgos was announced yesterday, ending their seven months in custody.
Captain Evangelos Lazardis and chief engineer Vasileios Sardis, expressed their gratitude through the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (
"They said they felt happy upon hearing the news," Wu Jia-zhen (
Wu added that the association is also glad to see the happy ending.
The association filed a petition for the immediate release of the detainees on July 25, arguing that the detention was in violation of the crew members' human rights.
The two men were ordered not to leave Taiwan under the Marine Pollution Control Act after the Amorgos spilled roughly 1,150 tonnes of fuel oil into waters near Kenting National Park.
The worst oil spill in Taiwan since 1977, the incident polluted the coastal environment of Lungkeng Ecological Preserve (
Some 60,000 tonnes of iron ore also sank into the sea after the wreckage was hit by several typhoons.
The detention of the two men was complicated by diplomatic pressure from Greek officials and the international community.
In response to that pressure and to the rights association's petition, Secretary-General of the Cabinet Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) convened a cross-agency meeting on the matter yesterday.
Officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, the transportation and communications, justice and the Environmental Protection Administration agreed to lift the detention order.
However, both the detainees and the Nissos Amorgos Shipping Corp, the owner of the wreck, were required to sign a letter of undertaking as a condition for the crewmen's release.
The letter ensures that they will assume responsibility under Taiwan's laws and offer assistance to the nation's judiciary.
After receiving the signed letter, the Cabinet yesterday sent official documents to both the Hualien Harbor Bureau and the Bureau of Immigration to lift the detention order.
The environmental administration officials said the Cabinet's decision was acceptable.
"Since the investigation on the detainees' criminal responsibility and maritime responsibility for the wreck is over, we don't need them to remain here," said Chang Juu-en (
"They are now obligated to return here should Taiwan need them during a future investigation," Chang said.
Administration officials said that the letter signed by the two crew and the shipping company would be presented in an international tribunal in the future as evidence of their involvement in the oil spill.
The administration has authorized a Norwegian law firm to investigate the spill and will consider filing a lawsuit in Norway.
Administration officials, however, yesterday stressed that the compensation issue would be discussed continuously with both the shipping company and its insurance company.
They said that the shore cleanup costs and related personnel expenses had already reached NT$90 million.
"The total loss is still not known because we are still estimating the amount of loss to ecological and fishery resources," said Lin Chien-hui (林建輝), a senior specialist at the administration's Bureau of Water Quality Protection.
Charles Shih (
Rainfall is expected to become more widespread and persistent across central and southern Taiwan over the next few days, with the effects of the weather patterns becoming most prominent between last night and tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said that based on the latest forecast models of the combination of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, rainfall and flooding are expected to continue in central and southern Taiwan from today to Sunday. The CWA also warned of flash floods, thunder and lightning, and strong gusts in these areas, as well as landslides and fallen
WAITING GAME: The US has so far only offered a ‘best rate tariff,’ which officials assume is about 15 percent, the same as Japan, a person familiar with the matter said Taiwan and the US have completed “technical consultations” regarding tariffs and a finalized rate is expected to be released soon, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference yesterday, as a 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire today. The two countries have reached a “certain degree of consensus” on issues such as tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, trade facilitation, supply chain resilience and economic security, Lee said. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation, investment and procurement, she said. A joint statement is still being negotiated and would be released once the US government has made
MASSIVE LOSS: If the next recall votes also fail, it would signal that the administration of President William Lai would continue to face strong resistance within the legislature The results of recall votes yesterday dealt a blow to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) efforts to overturn the opposition-controlled legislature, as all 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers survived the recall bids. Backed by President William Lai’s (賴清德) DPP, civic groups led the recall drive, seeking to remove 31 out of 39 KMT lawmakers from the 113-seat legislature, in which the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) together hold a majority with 62 seats, while the DPP holds 51 seats. The scale of the recall elections was unprecedented, with another seven KMT lawmakers facing similar votes on Aug. 23. For a
SOUTH CHINA SEA? The Philippine president spoke of adding more classrooms and power plants, while skipping tensions with China over disputed areas Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday blasted “useless and crumbling” flood control projects in a state of the nation address that focused on domestic issues after a months-long feud with his vice president. Addressing a joint session of congress after days of rain that left at least 31 dead, Marcos repeated his recent warning that the nation faced a climate change-driven “new normal,” while pledging to investigate publicly funded projects that had failed. “Let’s not pretend, the people know that these projects can breed corruption. Kickbacks ... for the boys,” he said, citing houses that were “swept away” by the floods. “Someone has