Straits Exchange Foundation Secretary-General Shi Hwei-yow (許惠祐) said yesterday that China is interrogating hundreds of Taiwanese businesspeople based in "sensitive areas," including places near Chinese military bases.
China's interrogation and detention of the businesspeople before it obtained proper evidence of the men's alleged crimes were detrimental to the men's human rights, Shi said.
Shi, however, declined to confirm whether China's large-scale crackdown on the suspect Taiwanese intelligence-gathering operations in China had started after President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) unveiled the locations of China's 496 missiles pointing at Taiwan.
Noting that Taiwan understands that China's justice system is different from Taiwan's, Shi nonetheless said that the government here hoped China could follow democratic countries' judicial procedures in trying the Taiwanese businesspeople.
The government yesterday asked China to allow a team of Taiwanese lawyers to go to China to represent Taiwanese businesspeople Beijing arrested on charges of espionage.
The Mainland Affairs Council and the foundation expressed serious concerns over what they called China's manipulation of judicial procedures in trying the Taiwanese businesspeople it alleges are "spies."
The foundation sent a letter to its Chinese counterpart the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait yesterday protesting against Beijing's arrangement of media interviews on Friday with eight Taiwanese businesspeople detained on charges of espionage.
Condemning such interviews as damaging to the detainees' human rights, Yen Wan-ching (
Some of the detainees vented their anger at Chen and his government for doing nothing to rescue them following their arrests and said they regretted collecting intelligence for Taiwan.
However, according to MAC Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (
Suspecting that the Taiwanese businesspeople's testimonies during their media interviews were scripted by China, Chen Ming-tong said Beijing's treatment of these men reminded him of China's inhuman trials of prisoners in the 19th century. He did not say what trials he was referring to.
The cross-strait foundation has asked for the its Chinese counterparts help to allow a team of Taiwanese lawyers to accompany the Taiwanese businesspeople's families to China to participate in the judicial inquiries.
The departure date for the team of lawyers remained undecided, said the foundation, which has formed a task force to handle cases of the so-called "Taiwanese spies."
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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