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
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book
RSS