Control Yuan members who are investigating the alleged defection of army Lieutenant Wang Yi-hung (
Members Lee Shen-yi (
The two spent much of yesterday questioning the bureau's commissioner, Tseng Wen-chang (
Prevention
Lin and Lee said steps must be taken to prevent similar communication lapses from occurring again.
"When the ministry of defense only gives the bureau a list of active duty personnel, rather than a clear list of which soldiers are not allowed to leave the country, of course it's easy for soldiers to leave the country without permission," Lin said.
Wang was given annual leave from Sept. 19 to Sept. 25, but was forbidden from leaving the country. He left the country on an unauthorized trip to Thailand on Sept. 19. From there he flew to Beijing on Oct. 7, together with his wife and 11-month-old baby.
Trip to thailand
Wang traveled to Thailand on Sept. 19, during his scheduled vacation time. Wang had been granted leave, but had not been given permission to leave the country.
He then flew from Bangkok to Beijing on Oct. 7, together with his wife and 11-month-old baby girl.
When he did not return to duty as scheduled on Sept. 25, the military launched an investigation into his whereabouts.
Lee said Tseng told them that the bureau did not receive notice that Wang had illegally left the country until Oct. 15, long after Sept. 25, the day the military says it learned Wang was in Thailand.
"If military personnel did know that Wang was in Thailand at that early date, they had plenty of time to take the necessary measures to order him to return home. Instead, the ministry missed this golden window to redeem the matter. [That failure to act] suggests they are negligent," Lin said.
As for the bureau's role, the two members said they must be far more prudent when it comes to checking the identity and travel documents of military personnel.
"They are not entitled to check these documents without due care," Lee said.
It is believed that Wang forged a permission document from his supervisor to allow him travel to Thailand.
"The bureau of immigration should be held responsible for their careless examination [of Wang's documents]," Lin said.
The two also expressed their doubts about military claims that because of Wang's lower rank, he would not have been privy to confidential information.
Speculation
They also dismissed speculation that Wang may have made an illegal deal with a travel agency to assist his departure, saying they had already ruled out that possibility.
The members also decided they would travel next week to the missile unit in Hualien where Wang was stationed to clarify unclear points of the case.
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
RSS