The Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC) denied allegations yesterday that it funded Japanese tourists to participate in the Double Ten National Day ceremony under the pretense of inviting "overseas Taiwanese" to the ceremony.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Tsai Cheng-yuan (
The commission shot back in a press release yesterday that such allegations were false.
"Legislator Tsai's [allegations] refer to the 80-member delegation from the United Chinese Society of Hawaii," the release stated, adding that all members boasted Chinese heritage and most had Chinese names.
"Fourteen members have Japanese names," the release said, adding that the commission's records showed that all such members belonged to Chinese families.
The commission also said yesterday that the overseas Chinese compatriots were eligible for an NT$3,200 (US$97) traveling stipend from the Taiwanese government to participate in National Day celebrations, but that such funds were only given to certain domestic travel agencies and not to individual compatriots or foreign organizations.
OCAC Vice Minister Maysing Yang (
"For legislators to level allegations without checking the facts is standard practice," Yang said, adding that "[lawmakers] don't care whether their allegations are true."
Tsai couldn't be reached for comment.
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