The Hong Kong representative office in Taipei said yesterday that the behavior of two Hong Kong women who have been detained on charges of theft and vandalism was an “isolated case.”
“Most Hong Kong travelers to Taiwan behave well and obey the local laws,” the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office said in a statement.
The office also said it does not think that the incident will impact on Taiwanese impressions of Hong Kong travelers.
The women — identified only by their surnames of Yao (邱) and Tsang (曾) — were placed in a detention center for foreigners in Yilan County early yesterday, following their arrest on Sunday.
Yao, 19, and Tsang, 18, are also under investigation for alleged forgery and were found to have overstayed their visitor permits, Taipei district prosecutors said.
The pair will remain in the detention center pending investigation and trial.
The teenagers made headlines nationwide after they used false identities to rent a room in Taipei, which they allegedly trashed and stole a television set from.
The pair were arrested on Sunday at a budget hotel in Greater Tainan, but not before they allegedly trashed another room, including writing on the wall in red ink: “Taiwan is China.”
The pair reportedly tried to disguise themselves by dyeing their hair, but hotel staff called the police when the women failed to check out on Sunday and were seen behaving suspiciously.
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