As the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China approaches, Beijing has tightened its control over Hong Kong, resulting in the detention and repatriation of Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners, the practitioners said yesterday.
Over a dozen Falun Gong practitioners from Taiwan who sought to enter Hong Kong with valid visas and passports on Sunday and Monday were detained overnight by immigration officers at Hong Kong International Airport and sent home without explanation, said Theresa Chu (
Chu made the remarks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday morning, during which other Falun Gong practitioners who have been denied entry to Hong Kong over the past few days told their story and condemned the Chinese government.
PHOTO: AFP
Chu said she arrived in Hong Kong late on Sunday night with a valid passport and visa, but "as soon as the immigration officer learned my name, he took me to the immigration office."
Chu was informed by immigration officials on duty at the time that she could appeal, but "police officers came to me on Monday morning and told me I no longer had the right to appeal," Chu said.
"Six female police officers wrapped me with a bomb blanket and forced me into a wheelchair. They then took me to the boarding gate," she said.
After returning to Taiwan, Chu said she learned from a Taichung travel agency that Hong Kong Immigration officials had informed all airlines that Falun Gong practitioners were unwelcome there.
"All Falun Gong practitioners will be on the `unwelcome list' as Hong Kong prepares for celebrations for the 10th anniversary of its return [to China] on July 1st," a copy of a fax that Chu obtained from the travel agency read.
Not all of the people who were detained and sent back to Taiwan were Falun Gong practitioners.
Meanwhile, Chu was detained again as she attempted to enter Hong Kong yesterday.
"I was taken to the immigration office right after I arrived in Hong Kong this afternoon and I'm sitting here all by myself," Chu said as she spoke to the Taipei Times from Hong Kong.
At a separate event, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉) accused Hong Kong immigration authorities of being "absolutely wrong" for denying entry to the Taiwanese Falun Gong members.
He said the decision showed that Hong Kong's human rights and democracy had regressed to a level much lower than that enjoyed by its residents 10 years ago.
Additional reporting by CNA
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
RSS